Automated assembly sensor cable

A sensor cable automated assembly method comprising:

• providing a generally wide and flat elongated cable having a plurality of linearly-aligned, regularly-spaced insulated conductors, the plurality of linearly-aligned regularly-spaced insulated conductors comprising at least a detector pair of insulated conductors and an emitter pair of insulated conductors, and wherein the the insulated conductors of detector pair and insulated conductors of the emitter pair are directly surrounded at least by a conductive inner jacket containing an embedded conductive drain line, and wherein the inner jacket is surrounded by an outer jacket;
• cutting the cable to a length compatible with an optical sensor circuit;
• preparing at least one end of the cable so as to expose ends of the conductors;
• detecting a registration feature on the cable, the registration feature uniquely identifying a single side of an outer jacket in order to aid in identifying cable orientation, the registration feature disposed along the length of the cable relative to the location of at least a particular one of the conductors within the cable;
• positioning the exposed conductors relative to a plurality of contacts of the optical sensor circuit according to the registration feature;
• and
• attaching the conductors to the contacts so as to provide electrical communications between the conductors and a plurality of optical components mounted on the optical sensor circuit.

An automated assembly sensor cable comprising:

• a generally wide and flat elongated body;
• a conductor set means disposed within the body for transmitting drive currents to sensor LEDs and for receiving currents from sensor photodiodes, the conductor set means comprising at least a plurality of insulated emitter conductors and a plurality of insulated detector conductors, the plurality of emitter conductors and plurality of detector conductors being linearly arranged;
• an inner jacket means containing an embedded conductive drain line, for mechanically surrounding and electrically shielding the conductor set means, such that the plurality of insulated emitter conductors and the plurality of insulated detector conductors are directly surrounded by the inner jacket means;
• and
• the outer jacket means for enclosing and protecting the body generally surrounding the inner jacket means.