Transmitter and receiver configuration for inductive position encoder

A detector portion for use with a scale and a signal processing configuration as part of an electronic position encoder usable to measure a relative position between two elements along a measuring axis direction that coincides with an x-axis direction, the scale extending along the measuring axis direction and including a signal modulating scale pattern including at least a first pattern track having a track width dimension along a y-axis direction that is perpendicular to the x-axis direction, each pattern track including signal modulating elements that are arranged to provide a spatially varying characteristic which changes as a periodic function of position along the x-axis direction, wherein the detector portion is configured to be mounted proximate to the at least first pattern track and to move along the measuring axis direction relative to the at least first pattern track, and the a signal processing configuration is operably connected to the detector portion to provide a coil drive signal and to determine a relative position between the detector portion and the scale pattern based on detector signals input from the detector portion, the detector portion comprising:

• a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB), including:
• a field generating coil configuration fixed on the PCB, including a first-track field generating coil portion surrounding a first interior area aligned with the first pattern track and having a nominal first interior area length dimension along the x-axis direction and a nominal first interior area width dimension along the y-axis direction and generating a first-track changing magnetic flux in the first interior area in response to a coil drive signal, and
• a plurality of sensing elements comprising respective conductive receiver loops arranged along the x-axis direction and fixed on the PCB and aligned with the first interior area, wherein the plurality of sensing elements are configured to provide detector signals which respond to a local effect on the first-track changing magnetic flux provided by adjacent signal modulating elements of the scale pattern;
• and
• wherein:
• the field generating coil configuration includes:
• an input portion including at least two connection portions that connect the coil drive signal from the signal processing configuration to the field generating coil configuration;
• first-track first and second elongated portions extending along the x-axis direction adjacent to the first interior area, the first-track first and second elongated portions each having a nominal first-track generating trace width dimension along the y-axis direction;
• and
• at least a first-track end portion spanning a y-axis direction separation between the first-track first and second elongated portions to provide a connection therebetween near an end of the first interior area;
• the field generating coil configuration is configured such that the nominal first-track generating trace width dimension is at least 0.1 times the nominal first interior area width dimension;
• and
• the first-track first and second elongated portions are fabricated using a set of elongated portion copper layers including at least a first interior copper layer of the PCB, and the conductive receiver loops are fabricated using a set of receiver loop copper layers of the PCB that include at least one copper layer that is closer than the first interior copper layer to a front surface of the detector portion that faces the signal modulating scale pattern.