Creating a class for a new piece of hardware

[F22Rapture]

How difficult would it be (and indeed would it be possible) to be able to handle this proximity sensor?

http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/...s%29/AE6-AP-4F

Our robot was designed by non-programmers... using hardware for which no prior FRC software exists, which I'm not even sure can be handled electrically by the hardware we have available to us. I'm balking at the idea of having to write a class to handle this plus everything else in 2 weeks by myself (I'm the only programmer), but like I said I'm not even sure it can be done.

Here's the relevant details:

Inductive proximity sensor, 8mm diameter, short body, extended range, 10-30 VDC, 3-wire, PNP, unshielded, 4mm nominal sensing distance, normally open output, 3kHz switching frequency

If it's not workable, which I assume it won't be with only 2 weeks left, I need to know so we can adjust our absurdly and needlessly complex design asap.


Which brings me to a second question: if it isn't possible, can we use ultrasonic sensors instead? It has to be able to sense the head of a screw to within a couple of millimeters of accuracy.

http://www.andymark.com/product-p/am-2434.htm

Vertical accuracy I'm not worried about because that sensor should have 1mm resolution, however, I'm not sure whether the cone of detection would be small and precise enough to only detect the screw within an acceptable range. Distance between the sensor and the screw will only be about 2-4 millimeters. Can ultrasonic sensors even operate effectively within that range?

Thanks,

Daniel A