Modular eddy current array (ECA) probe

Abstract

Vortex inspection of the structure may be performed using various methods. The probe assembly configurations described herein may include a modular architecture, such as including an interface board, one or more multiplexer assemblies, and one or more sensor (e.g., an array of coil elements) assemblies. The use of a modular approach facilitates rapid prototyping, manufacturing, commissioning or maintenance (or a combination thereof) because the respective interface boards or multiplexers (or both) may be commonly shared across multiple probe assembly configurations. The sensor components may be modified, or new sensor component mechanical configurations may be used, such as re-using existing multiplexer and interface board configurations.

Description

[0001] Priority claim

[0002] This patent application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 477,651, filed on December 29, 2022, entitled “MODULAR EDDY CURRENT ARRAY (ECA) PROBE,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This document relates generally, but not by way of limitation, to apparatus and techniques for nondestructive inspection, such as facilitating eddy current inspection, and more particularly, to apparatus and techniques for providing an eddy current array (ECA) probe assembly having a modular architecture. Background Art

[0004] Non-destructive testing (NDT) can refer to the use of one or more different techniques to inspect an area on or within an object, such as to determine the presence of flaws or defects, or to otherwise characterize the object being inspected. One type of non-destructive testing can include the use of eddy current testing methods, in which electromagnetic energy is applied to an object and the induced current generated on or within the object is detected, with the value of the detected current (or associated impedance) providing an indication of the structure of the object being inspected, such as to indicate the presence of cracks, voids, pores, or other inhomogeneities. Typically, an eddy current (EC) sensor includes one or more sensor elements, such as an induction coil that can be excited using an alternating current (AC) source. Such a coil (or other electromagnetic sensing element, such as a Hall sensor) can be used to receive a signal indicative of an induced eddy current on or within a structure. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Examples described herein relate to a modular eddy current array (ECA) probe comprising: an interface board configured to communicate with an acquisition instrument, wherein the interface board is disposed on a first printed circuit board (PCB); a multiplexer board configured to selectively couple and decouple to the interface board, wherein the multiplexer board is disposed on a second PCB; and a coil assembly configured to selectively couple and decouple to the multiplexer board.

[0006] The example described herein relates to a method, comprising: receiving, by an interface board of a modular ECA probe, a configuration command from an acquisition unit; saving, by a first multiplexer board of the modular ECA probe, configuration information of a first group of coil elements coupled to the first multiplexer board based on the configuration command; saving, by a second multiplexer board of the modular ECA probe, configuration information of a second group of coil elements coupled to the second multiplexer board based on the configuration command; and performing, by the modular ECA probe, an examination of an object based on the configuration information saved by the first multiplexer board and the second multiplexer board.

[0007] Examples described herein relate to an inspection system comprising: an interface board configured to selectively couple and decouple to a plurality of different types of multiplexer boards; a first multiplexer board coupled to the interface board, wherein the first multiplexer board is configured to selectively couple and decouple to a plurality of different types of coil assemblies; and a first coil assembly coupled to the first multiplexer board. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The subject matter of this disclosure may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the claims included herein. For the sake of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, with emphasis instead being placed on illustrating examples, principles, and concepts. Therefore, the features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of examples of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 An example portion of a modular ECA probe is shown;

[0010] Figure 2 Simplified block diagrams showing different modular configurations;

[0011] Figure 3 shows an example portion of a modular ECA probe head having multiple daisy-chained multiplexer boards;

[0012] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method for configuring a modular ECA probe; and

[0013] Figure 5 An example inspection sequence is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Techniques for providing various probe configurations that can be used to perform eddy current (EC) testing are described. The probe configurations can be provided using a modular architecture, such as including an interface board, one or more multiplexer (MUX) assemblies, and one or more sensor (e.g., coil element array) assemblies. Use of a modular approach facilitates rapid prototyping, manufacturing, commissioning, or repair (or a combination thereof) because corresponding interface board assemblies or multiplexers (or both) can be shared across multiple probe assembly configurations. The sensor assembly can be modified, or a new sensor assembly mechanical configuration can be used, such as by reusing an existing multiplexer and interface board configuration.

[0015] Figure 1 Shown are example portions of a modular ECA probe 100. The modular ECA probe 100 includes an interface board 102, one or more multiplexer boards (shown as multiplexer board 104), and one or more coil assemblies (shown as coil assembly 106). Figure 1 A simplified block diagram and example of a physical implementation of a modular ECA probe 100 is shown.

[0016] The interface board 102 can be coupled to an acquisition unit / instrument 150. The acquisition unit 150 can send control signals and power signals to the modular ECA probe 100 via the interface board 102. For example, the acquisition unit 150 can send an excitation signal to the modular ECA probe 100 to be applied to the coil assembly 106. The acquisition unit 150 can also send control and configuration signals (e.g., via an RS-485 connection or the like) and time slot (TS) synchronization signals. The acquisition unit 150 can also send analog power signals and digital power signals to the modular ECA probe 100. The interface board 102 can send EC signals generated by the examination back to the acquisition unit 150. Example components included on the interface board are described in further detail below.

[0017] The interface board 102 is disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB). The interface board 102 can selectively couple and decouple to a multiplexer board 104 and other multiplexer boards. Thus, the interface board 102 can be coupled to different types of multiplexer boards that provide a modular configuration of the modular ECA probe 100. The multiplexer board 104 is disposed on a separate PCB that is different from the interface board 102. As described in further detail below, in some examples, the interface board can be coupled to multiple multiplexer boards in a serial daisy-chain manner. Example components included on the multiplexer board are described in further detail below.

[0018] The multiplexer board 104 can selectively couple and decouple the coil assembly 106 and other coil assemblies. Thus, the multiplexer board 104 can be coupled to different types of coil assemblies to provide a modular configuration of the modular ECA probe 100. The coil assembly 106 can include coils to generate electromagnetic energy for application to a subject and to receive induced EC signals.

[0019] Figure 2 Simplified block diagrams of different modular configurations are shown. The interface board 202 can be selectively coupled to different types of multiplexer boards 204.1 to 204.n. The different types of multiplexer boards 204.1 to 204.n can provide different multiplexer configurations, such as absolute transmit / receive (T / R), absolute bridges, digital logic circuits, etc. The corresponding multiplexer boards of the multiplexer boards 204.1 to 204.n can be selectively coupled to different types of coil assemblies 206.1 to 206.m. The different types of coil assemblies 206.1 to 206.m can provide different coil element configurations, such as size, frequency, physical arrangement, flexibility (e.g., PCB flexibility), wired coils, etc. The coil assemblies 206.1 to 206.m can be configured to detect different types of defects, such as longitudinal defects and tilt defects.

[0020] Providing interface boards, multiplexer boards, and coil assemblies as modular components can enable different ECA probe arrangements. Consider the example of four different multiplexer boards and ten different coil assemblies. Utilizing a modular approach as described herein, forty different probe assembly arrangements can be provided. As described herein, a modular EC probe can adapt to different coil developments in a much shorter time than developing an entirely new probe configuration. For example, when a new coil assembly is introduced, it can be easily integrated into the modular probe with four different multiplexer boards in the example above, with four new probe assembly arrangements. And when a new multiplexer board is introduced, it can be easily integrated into the modular probe with ten different coil assemblies in the example above, with ten new probe assembly arrangements.

[0021] Modular components can be easily assembled (and disassembled). For example, modular components can be plugged together using connecting devices such as connector pins or connectors. Modular assemblies also make it easier to troubleshoot production or field problems. A modular approach can make it easier to identify and replace faulty parts for repairs or before the final assembly of the probe.

[0022] The "smart functionality" of the modular ECA probe can be provided in different locations. In some examples, the "smart functionality" can be provided on the interface board by including a microcontroller in the interface board, making it a "smart" board. The microcontroller on the smart board can control the inspection operations of the modular ECA probe.

[0023] In some examples, "smart functionality" can be provided on the multiplexer board by including a microcontroller in the multiplexer board. Incorporating a microcontroller in the multiplexer board can also enable the use of multiple multiplexer boards (and their corresponding attached coil assemblies) in a single modular ECA probe. Multiple multiplexer boards can be connected in a serial daisy-chain manner. That is, the interface board can be coupled to a first multiplexer board, which in turn can be connected to a second multiplexer board, and so on.

[0024] Figure 3 An example portion of a modular ECA probe 300 having multiple daisy-chained multiplexer boards is shown. The modular ECA probe 300 includes an interface board 302. The interface board 302 may include a cable connection to an acquisition unit (not shown) and a connection to a first multiplexer board 320. The interface board 302 may include a generation buffer 304 to receive a generation signal (e.g., an excitation signal) from the acquisition unit. The generation buffer 304 may include an amplifier and other signal conditioning circuitry. The interface board 302 may include a receiver 306 to receive a time slot (TS) control signal from the acquisition unit. The TS control signal may provide sequence information for which coils to excite for transmission and which coils to use for receiving EC signals for the corresponding time slot.

[0025] The interface board 302 may include a transceiver 308 to send and receive configuration and other control information to / from the acquisition unit and to / from the first multiplexer board 320. For example, the transceiver 308 may use a UART connection to the first multiplexer board 320.

[0026] The interface board 302 may include a temperature sensor 310. The temperature sensor 310 may monitor the temperature on the interface board 302 to ensure proper operating conditions. The interface board 302 may include a memory 312 (e.g., FRAM). The memory 312 may be coupled to the first multiplexer board 320 using, for example, an I2C connection.

[0027] The interface board 302 may also include a power supply 314. The power supply 314 may receive a power signal from the acquisition unit. The power signal may be an analog power signal or a digital power signal. The power supply 314 may supply a MUX power signal to the first multiplexer board 320. The MUX power signal may include an analog power signal for powering analog circuits such as amplifiers and a digital power signal for powering digital circuits such as a microcontroller on the multiplexer board.

[0028] The interface board 302 can be selectively coupled to a first multiplexer board 320 via a connector. The connector can include connections for a generator buffer 304 (GEN BUF), a receiver 306 (TS control), a transceiver 308 (UART), a temperature sensor 310, and a memory 312 (I2C), as well as a power supply 314 (P3V3, P5V0_A, NSV0_A). The first multiplexer board 320 includes a microcontroller 322. The microcontroller 322 can control the operation of the first multiplexer board 320. For example, the microcontroller 322 can store configuration information for the modular ECA probe 300 in local memory (e.g., RAM) and can control inspection operations based on the configuration information.

[0029] The first multiplexer board 320 includes a TS control circuit system 324 coupled to a multiplexer circuit system 326. The TS control circuit system 324 can receive TS control signals from the interface board 302 and can operate the multiplexer circuit system 326 accordingly. The multiplexer circuit system 326 can receive a generated signal from the generation buffer 304 and can route the generated signal to the appropriate coil via the coil connector 328 based on the TS information. The generated EC signal can be received from the coil connector 328 and processed by the pre-amplification circuit 330. The pre-amplification circuit 330 may include an amplifier and other signal conditioning circuits for amplifying the EC signal. The EC signal can then be routed to the interface board 302 and then to the acquisition unit. The first multiplexer board 320 may also include a temperature sensor 332.

[0030] The first multiplexer board 320 can be selectively coupled to the second multiplexer board 340 using a connector. In this configuration, the second multiplexer board 340 can operate as a slave device to the first multiplexer board 320 (which operates as a master device in this relationship). The second multiplexer board 340 includes a microcontroller 342. The microcontroller 342 can control the operation of the second multiplexer board 340. For example, the microcontroller 342 can store configuration information of the modular ECA probe 300 in a local memory (e.g., RAM) and can control the inspection operation based on the configuration information.

[0031] The second multiplexer board 420 includes a TS control circuit system 344 coupled to the multiplexer circuit system 346. The TS control circuit system 344 can receive the TS control signal from the first multiplexer board 320 and can operate the multiplexer circuit system 346 accordingly. The multiplexer circuit system 346 can receive the generated signal from the generation buffer 304 via the first multiplexer board 320 and can route the generated signal to the appropriate coil via the coil connector 348 based on the TS information. The generated EC signal can be received from the coil connector 348 and processed by the pre-amplification circuit 350. The pre-amplification circuit 350 may include an amplifier and other signal conditioning circuitry for amplifying the EC signal. The EC signal can then be routed to the first multiplexer board 32, then to the interface board 302, and then to the acquisition unit. The second multiplexer board 340 may also include a temperature sensor 352.

[0032] Additional multiplexer boards can be connected in this daisy-chain configuration. The use of daisy-chained multiplexer boards can enable the use of more coil configurations. For example, if each multiplexer board can accommodate 32 coils, a two-board configuration can accommodate 64 coils, a three-board configuration can accommodate 96 coils, and so on.

[0033] In some examples, subsets of coils can be shared by different multiplexer boards. For example, a first multiplexer board can be connected to a group of coils 1 through 32 in a larger coil assembly. A second multiplexer board can be connected to a group of coils 30 through 62 from the same coil assembly, where coils 30 through 32 are shared by the first and second multiplexer boards.

[0034] It is important to note that from the perspective of the acquisition unit, the modular ECA probe operates as a single unit, and the acquisition unit may not have information about the specific configuration of the multiplexer board and its coil arrangement. Sensors are formed by the multiplexer board through the interconnection of coils acting as transmitters and coils acting as receivers. In some examples, the acquisition unit may only have information about the number, nature, and physical positioning of the sensors generated by the modular MUX / probe assembly, without knowledge of the underlying coil multiplexing. The internal modular operation of the ECA probe may be unknown to the acquisition unit.

[0035] Figure 44 is a flow chart of a method 400 for configuring a modular ECA probe. At operation 402, the acquisition unit may send a "get capabilities" command to the probe. At operation 404, the probe may read the probe capabilities stored in its memory (e.g., FRAM on the interface board) and send a reply including the probe capabilities. In some examples, the probe capabilities may include information about the number, nature, and physical positioning of sensors generated by the modular MUX / probe assembly without knowledge of the multiplexing of the underlying coils. From the perspective of the acquisition unit, the probe may be viewed as a single, monolithic structure.

[0036] At operation 406, the acquisition unit can send a configuration command to the probe. The configuration command includes information about which sensors will be used for inspection and in what order. At operation 408, the configuration command can be routed to the first multiplexer board, and the configuration information can be stored in the RAM associated with the first microcontroller on the first multiplexer board. At operation 410, the first microcontroller on the first multiplexer board can check whether the configuration command includes more than n elements, where n is the maximum number (e.g., 32 elements) of coil elements connected to the first multiplexer board. If so, then at operation 412, the configuration command can be sent to the next (second) multiplexer board. Then, the second multiplexer board and any additional multiplexer boards can perform operations 408 to 410 until the configuration command information is stored in all corresponding multiplexer boards.

[0037] At operation 414, the daisy-chained multiplexer boards may receive an acknowledgment confirming that the configuration command has been stored. For example, the third multiplexer board may send an acknowledgment to the second multiplexer board after the third multiplexer board successfully saves the configuration command, and the second multiplexer board may send an acknowledgment to the first multiplexer board after the second multiplexer board successfully saves the configuration command. At operation 416, the first multiplexer board may send a confirmation reply to the acquisition unit after the configuration command has been stored in the corresponding multiplexer board. At operation 418, the probe may then apply the configuration in the next designated time slot.

[0038] The modular ECA probe can be operated to perform different inspection techniques using different coil configurations. For example, the modular ECA probe can be used to detect different types of defects, such as longitudinal and transverse defects.

[0039] Figure 5 An example inspection sequence is shown. In this example, the first multiplexer board may be coupled to thirty-two coil elements. Figure 5A TS sequence for thirty time slots (TS0 to TS29) is shown. In this example, the first fifteen time slots (TS0 to TS14) are used to detect longitudinal defects, and the last fifteen time slots (TS15 to TS20) are used to detect transverse defects. For example, at TS0, coils 2 and 19 can be driven for transmission, and EC signals can be received on coils 18 and 20 for driver coil 19 and EC signals can be received on coils 1 and 3 for driver coil 2. This configuration can be used to detect longitudinal defects. For transverse defect detection, for example, at TS15, coils TS0, coils 2, and 19 can be driven for transmission, and EC signals can be received on coil 17 for driver coil 19 and EC signals can be received on coil 4 for driver coil 2.

[0040] It is also possible to add more multiplexer boards with different coupled coil configurations. For example, TS 30 to 59 can be processed by a second multiplexer board and its corresponding coupled coil elements, and TS 60 to 89 can be processed by a third multiplexer board and its corresponding coil elements. In some examples, some coil elements can be shared by multiple multiplexer boards, as described above.

[0041] In addition, the time slots for different multiplexer boards can be continuous, as described in the above examples, or can be discontinuous. For example, TS1 can be handled by a first multiplexer board and its corresponding coil arrangement, TS2 to TS5 can be handled by a second multiplexer board and its corresponding coil arrangement, and TS6 can be handled by the first multiplexer board. In some examples, time slots can also be handled by multiple multiplexer boards simultaneously. For example, drive operations (e.g., driving one or more coils) can be handled by a first multiplexer board, and receive operations (e.g., receiving on one or more coils) can be handled by a second multiplexer board. The modular ECA probe can adapt to various sequence modes.

[0042] The use of a modular approach as described herein facilitates rapid prototyping, manufacturing, debugging, or repair (or a combination thereof) because corresponding components (e.g., interface boards, multiplexer boards) can be shared across multiple probe assembly configurations. The sensor assembly can be modified, or a new sensor assembly mechanical configuration can be used, such as reusing an existing multiplexer and interface board configuration.

[0043] Processing (e.g., performing one or more methods described herein) can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. Processing can be implemented in a computer program executed on a programmable computer / machine, each of which includes a processor, a storage medium or other article of manufacture readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and / or storage elements), at least one input device, and one or more output devices. Program code can be applied to data entered using the input device to perform processing and generate output information. The memory may include a machine-readable medium having stored thereon one or more sets of data structures or instructions (e.g., software) implemented or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functionality described herein.

[0044] In some embodiments, the system may be implemented by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the functions of the system. In some other embodiments, all or part of the system may be implemented as a dedicated logic circuit system (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and / or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). In some other embodiments, all or part of the system may be implemented using, for example, the following electronic hardware circuit system: the electronic hardware circuit system includes an electronic device such as at least one of a processor, a memory, a programmable logic device, or a logic gate.

[0045] In one embodiment, the methods described herein are not limited to the specific examples described. In other embodiments, any of the method steps can be reordered, combined or removed as needed, or performed in parallel or serially to achieve the above results.

[0046] In some embodiments, the system can be implemented at least in part by a computer program product (e.g., in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium such as, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium), which is executed by a data processing device (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer or a plurality of computers) or is used to control the operation of the data processing device. In some embodiments, each such program can be implemented with a high-level process or object-oriented programming language to communicate with the computer system. However, in some other embodiments, the program can be implemented with assembly or machine language. In some embodiments, the language can be a compiled language or an interpreted language, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. In some other embodiments, the computer program can be deployed to execute on a computer or on multiple computers, which are distributed at one site or across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0047] The methods and apparatus of the present disclosure may take, at least in part, the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in a tangible, non-transitory medium (e.g., a floppy disk, CD-ROM, hard drive, random access or read-only memory, or any other machine-readable storage medium). Figure 4 When the program code is stored in and executed by a computer machine, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the examples of the present subject matter. When implemented on one or more general-purpose processors, the program code combines with such processors to provide a unique apparatus that operates similarly to a specific logic circuit. In this way, a general-purpose digital machine can be converted into a special-purpose digital machine. In some other embodiments, the non-transitory machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, a hard drive, a compact disk, a flash memory, a non-volatile memory, a volatile memory, a magnetic disk, etc., but does not itself include a transient signal.

[0048] The term "machine-readable medium" or "machine-readable storage medium" may include any medium that can store, encode, or carry instructions for execution by a machine and that causes the machine to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or any medium that can store, encode, or carry data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include solid-state memory and optical and magnetic media. Thus, a machine-readable medium is not a transient propagating signal. Specific examples of high-capacity machine-readable media may include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic or other phase-change or state-change memory circuits; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0049] Although the aforementioned examples have been described in some detail for the purpose of clear understanding, it is obvious that certain changes and modifications can be put into practice within the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the claims, and the present invention includes many alternatives, modifications and equivalents. Many specific details have been set forth in the above description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. These details are provided for the purpose of example, and the present invention can be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the sake of clarity, technical materials known in the technical field related to the present invention are not described in detail so that the present invention will not be unnecessarily obscured. Therefore, the above implementation is considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive, and the present invention is not limited to the details given herein, but can be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0050] Various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that these exemplary embodiments are provided solely to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and subsequently further implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. It should be noted that these drawings and descriptions are presented only as examples of embodiments, and based on this description, alternative embodiments having the structures and methods disclosed herein are contemplated, and such alternative embodiments may be used without departing from the principles of the present disclosure as claimed in the present disclosure.

[0051] It can be noted that the flow chart and block diagram in the figure can illustrate the device, method and architecture, function and operation that can be performed by computer program product according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure.In this regard, each frame in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a part for module, program segment or code, which can include one or more executable instructions for performing a specified logical function.It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the function indicated in the frame can occur in an order different from the order shown in the figure.For example, the two frames shown in succession can be performed substantially in parallel, or sometimes performed in reverse order, depending on the function involved.It should also be noted that each frame in the block diagram or flow chart and the combination of frames can be realized by a special-purpose, hardware-based system for performing a specified function or operation or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0052] As used herein, the terms "comprise," "include," their derivatives, and similar expressions should be construed as open ended (i.e., "includes / including, but not limited to"). The term "based on" means "based at least in part on," the term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment," and the term "another embodiment" means "at least one other embodiment." Relevant definitions of other terms are provided.

[0053] Herein, as is common in patent literature, the terms "a" or "an" are used to include one or more than one, regardless of any other instance or usage of "at least one" or "one or more." Herein, unless otherwise indicated, the term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive or, such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B." Herein, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain English equivalents of the corresponding terms "comprising" and "wherein." In addition, in the appended claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, systems, devices, articles, combinations, formulations, or processes that include elements in addition to those elements listed after such terms in the claim are still considered to fall within the scope of the claim. In addition, in the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0054] The method examples described herein may be at least partially machine or computer-implemented. Some examples may include a computer-readable medium or machine-readable medium encoded with instructions that can be operated to configure an electronic device to perform the method described in the above examples. The implementation of such a method may include code, such as microcode, assembly language code, higher-level language code, etc. Such code may include computer-readable instructions for performing various methods. The code may form a part of a computer program product. In addition, in an example, such as during execution or at other times, the code may be tangibly stored on one or more volatile, non-transient, or non-volatile tangible computer-readable media. Examples of these tangible computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, hard disks, removable disks, removable optical disks (e.g., compact disks and digital video disks), cassettes, memory cards or memory sticks, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), etc.

[0055] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the examples described above (or one or more aspects of the examples) can be used in combination with each other. For example, those of ordinary skill in the art can use other implementations after reading the above description. An abstract is provided to enable the reader to quickly determine the nature of the technical disclosure. The abstract is submitted with the following understanding: the abstract will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the above-mentioned specific embodiments, various features can be combined together to streamline the present disclosure. This should not be interpreted as meaning that the disclosed features that are not claimed for protection are necessary for any claim. Instead, the subject matter of the invention may be less than all the features of a particular disclosed implementation. Therefore, the attached claims are incorporated into the detailed description as examples or implementations, wherein each claim exists independently as a separate implementation, and it is expected that such implementations can be combined with each other in various combinations or arrangements. The scope of the present invention should be determined with reference to the attached claims and the full scope of equivalents to which these claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A modular eddy current array (ECA) probe comprising: an interface board configured to communicate with an acquisition instrument, wherein the interface board is disposed on a first printed circuit board (PCB); a multiplexer board configured to selectively couple and decouple with the interface board, wherein the multiplexer board is disposed on a second PCB; and A coil assembly is configured to be selectively coupled to and decoupled from the multiplexer board.

2. The modular ECA probe according to claim 1, wherein: The first PCB is connected to the second PCB using a connector.

3. The modular ECA probe according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The interface board includes a microcontroller.

4. The modular ECA probe according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The multiplexer board includes a microcontroller.

5. The modular ECA probe according to claim 4, wherein: The multiplexer board is a first multiplexer board, and the modular ECA probe further comprises: A second multiplexer board is configured to be selectively coupled to and decoupled from the first multiplexer board, wherein the second multiplexer board is disposed on a third PCB.

6. The modular ECA probe according to claim 5, wherein: The microcontroller is a first microcontroller, and wherein the second multiplexer board includes a second microcontroller.

7. The modular ECA probe according to claim 6, wherein: The first microcontroller operates as a master device of the second microcontroller.

8. The modular ECA probe according to claim 7, wherein: The coil assembly is a first coil assembly, and the modular ECA probe further comprises: A second coil assembly is configured to be selectively coupled to and decoupled from the second multiplexer board.

9. The modular ECA probe according to claim 8, wherein: A subset of coils is shared by the first coil assembly and the second coil assembly.

10. The modular ECA probe according to claim 9, wherein: The first multiplexer board is configured to control inspection operations of the modular ECA probe for a first set of time slots based on configuration commands received from the acquisition instrument via the interface board, and Wherein, a second multiplexer board is configured to control inspection operations of the modular ECA probe for a second set of time slots based on the configuration commands received from the acquisition instrument via the interface board and the first multiplexer board.

11. The modular ECA probe according to claim 10, wherein: Control of the inspection operation by the first and second multiplexer boards is unknown to the acquisition instrument.

12. The modular ECA probe according to any one of claims 3 to 11, wherein: The first multiplexer board and the second multiplexer board are connected in a serial daisy chain configuration.

13. A method comprising: The interface board of the modular ECA probe receives the configuration command from the acquisition unit; saving, by a first multiplexer board of the modular ECA probe, configuration information of a first set of coil elements coupled to the first multiplexer board based on the configuration command; saving, by a second multiplexer board of the modular ECA probe, configuration information of a second set of coil elements coupled to the second multiplexer board based on the configuration command; Inspection of an object is performed by the modular ECA probe based on configuration information maintained by the first and second multiplexer boards.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein Performing an inspection of the object includes: driving at least one element of the first set of coil elements by the first multiplexing board and receiving a first generated eddy current (EC) signal from the first set of coil elements in a first time slot; At least one element of a second set of coil elements is driven by the second multiplexer board, and a second generated EC signal is received from the second set of coil elements in a second time slot.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 14, wherein The interface board is disposed on a first printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the first multiplexer board is disposed on a second PCB, and wherein the second multiplexer board is disposed on a third PCB.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein The first multiplexer board is connected to the second multiplexer board in a serial daisy chain configuration.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein The first set of coil elements and the second set of coil elements share a subset of coil elements.

18. An inspection system comprising: an interface board configured to selectively couple and decouple to a plurality of different types of multiplexer boards; a first multiplexer board coupled to the interface board, wherein the first multiplexer board is configured to selectively couple to and decouple from a plurality of different types of coil assemblies; as well as A first coil assembly is coupled to the first multiplexer board.

19. The inspection system according to claim 18, wherein: The interface board includes a microcontroller.

20. The inspection system of claim 18, further comprising: a second multiplexer board coupled to the first multiplexer board, wherein the first multiplexer board includes a first microcontroller and the second multiplexer board includes a second microcontroller; and A second coil assembly is coupled to the second multiplexer board.

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