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Capacitive Sensor PDF 2

This document discusses capacitive sensors and provides examples of their applications. It begins with an introduction of capacitive sensing and examples such as motion detection, pressure sensing, and touch interfaces. It then describes the basics of capacitive sensing using a capacitor and electronics. The document provides case studies of using capacitive sensing for head gap measurement in hard disk drives and dynamic blood pressure measurement. It covers sensor design strategies such as using AC or DC excitation and measuring charge or voltage. Overall, the document outlines the versatility, scalability, low cost, and precision of capacitive sensors.

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poonam_bhatia01
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276 views20 pages

Capacitive Sensor PDF 2

This document discusses capacitive sensors and provides examples of their applications. It begins with an introduction of capacitive sensing and examples such as motion detection, pressure sensing, and touch interfaces. It then describes the basics of capacitive sensing using a capacitor and electronics. The document provides case studies of using capacitive sensing for head gap measurement in hard disk drives and dynamic blood pressure measurement. It covers sensor design strategies such as using AC or DC excitation and measuring charge or voltage. Overall, the document outlines the versatility, scalability, low cost, and precision of capacitive sensors.

Uploaded by

poonam_bhatia01
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Capacitive Sensors

Mark Weber Comprehension Engineering


Comprehending your problems and solutions.

Summary
Audience and Expectations Case studies

Head gap measurement Dynamic blood pressure

Sensor Basics Capacitive sensor strategies Case studies in detail Conclusion

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Audience and expectations


Audience

Electrical Engineer Not familiar with sensors May need to integrate a sensor

Expectations

Understand the diversity of applications Understand some strategies Not all the necessary detail

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General Capacitive sensor


Quantity to sense *
Motion 1e-14 meters Pressure Acceleration Rotation Fluid composition Touch switches Stud locations PC touch pad Flow rate Liquid level Thickness Ice detection Position and angle encoding * See references
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Capacitor

Electronics

Low Cost Precise

Case study head gap measurement


Need to measure gap Head to media Need to control gap to 1% Affects performance and safety Temperature changes air viscosity Control system - Change

vertical force on arm to keep gap constant


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hard_disk_head.jpg
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Case study Dynamic blood pressure


AC blood pressure measurement Used to judge heart function Microphone for the blood stream Long term stability not important Scale factor stability moderate High linearity requirement

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Sensor basics
Big three
14 12 10
output - volts

Noise Scalefactor (sensitivity)

Others
ideal actual

8 6 4 2 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 input - jeffs 0.8 1 1.2

Linearity Bandwidth Environmental sensitivities

Bias (offset)

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Capacitance sensors Measuring C or delta C


q CV
Capacitor charge Constant C

dV iC dt

dq dCV dt dt

Derivative of charge is current Constant V

dV dC iC V dt dt

General case Constant Q

dC i V dt

dV dC 0C V dt dt
8

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Capacitance sensor strategies

Apply AC voltage Slow motion AC charge DC voltage fast motion DC charge

Measure charge voltage charge voltage

comments good high impedance - noisy good leaky and high impedance

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Head gap measurement

Capacitance gap

Arm supporting head


Head

Rotating media

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Basic circuit
Csimilar about the same size

as Cgap

Large output voltages Small <10pF

What about bias current?

Vout VAC
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C gap Csimilar
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Biasing Op Amp
Rbias is large

Bias current must be small Bias current times Rbias is offset Rbias and Csimilar set lower Cgap bandwidth

Rbias

Csimilar

+ AC Cparasitic

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Convert to DC
Simple switch demodulator and low pass filter Frequency of excitation important

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What about noise


Largest noise should be

Op Amp input noise Parasitic capacitance holds input node

Vnoiseout Vnoisein

C gap C para Csimilar

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Dynamic blood pressure

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Circuit basics
Constant voltage

Vout Vout
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Vbias dC gap dt Csimilar dt Vbias C gap Csimilar


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Need bias currents


Rbias is large Rbias and Csimilar set bandwidth
Rbias

Csimilar

Cgap + DC bias

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Noise
Same as before

Vnoise out Vnoise in


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C gap C para C similar


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References
www.capsense.com

Capacitive Sensors, Larry K. Baxter, IEEE

Press, NJ 1997, ~300pp Summary article http://www.capsense.com/capsense-wp.pdf


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Conclusions
Capacitor sensors

Versatile Scalable Low cost Precise

Design principles

Constant voltage constant charge

Have fun

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