STRAIN AND CRACK SENSOR

A strain, crack and acoustic emission conformal structural health monitoring circuit with integral preprocessor and provisions for connectorization to a central processing system includes a strain gauge (11) having crack sensing traces (21), (23), and (25) sandwiched between a bottom layer (13) and a top layer (39). Strain gauge (11) is attached to an aircraft structural surface (51) to be monitored. Successive alternating layers of interconnecting sheet layers (61) and dielectric layers (63) joined by successive layers of non-structural adhesive (65) are added sufficient to effectively attenuate any stress forces, and forces directly from the strain and cracks, from traveling upward from the aircraft structural surface (51). A metalization layer (47) tops the successive layers and supports an integrated circuit (43) which may be multi-chip hybrid package, discretely packaged components or conformally coated chip/circuit assemblies, and provides a means of interconnect to and protection from the ambient environment.