How to Choose/Use Capacitive Sensors for Various

Applications
 Background
• Three Main Types:
• Displacement
• Touch Sensor and iPod Click
Wheel
• Accelerometer
• Automobile Suspension System,
Air Bag System, ABS
• Pressure
• Tire Pressure
 Background (cont...)

• Capacitance
• Electric Fringe Fields
• Dielectric differences
 Background (cont...)
• Advantages of Capacitive Sensor
• Higher accuracy
• Smaller size
• More reliable (compared to mechanical)
• No moving parts (more durable)
• No direct contact with the sensor
• Sealed from dirt
• Cheaper
 Water level sensor

• Metal electrode
• Ground vessel
• Dielectric change
causes change in
capacitance
 Water Level Sensor (cont...)
• Figure shows simplified
view
• Typical Applications:
• Gas Tank Sensor
• Water Reservoir
• Production Vats
• Cheaper than similar
sensors
• More Accurate
 Airbag System
• Required by Government law since 1999
model year
• Capacitive Pressure Sensor and Capacitive
Accelerometer Sensor are used for passenger
protection
 Airbag System
• Sense a passenger.
• Capacitive Pressure Sensor
• Use a thin diaphragm
• Pressure is detected based on change in the
capacitance between the diaphragm and the electrode
 Airbag System
• Sense a crash
• Capacitive Accelerometer Sensor
• A change in electrical capacitance with respect to
acceleration
 Touch sensor

• Electrical disturbance
• Two plate sensor
• Surface charge
• Overlay of 1-3mm
 Touch sensor (cont...)
• Interaction with E-fields
• E-fields projects through material
• Responsive to conductive devices
 Touch sensor (cont...)
• Change in capacitance
• Dielectric permittivity influence

• Common applications
– Touch screens (ex. iPhone, Nexus1)
– Track pads
 Vehicle Identification Capacitive Sensor

• Used at road toll stations

• Current Inductive sensors
• Drawbacks:
• Covers large area
• Senses only metal
• Not very accurate
• Solution: Use a capacitive sensor
 Capacitive sensor structure

• 11 Excitation and 30 detection electrodes

• B0 (detection circuit and CtD)
• B0 connects to B1-B30
• Capacitance between plates A and B
 Structure (cont...)

• Sensor embedded into a ramp

• Help slow the cars down
• Stray capacitance
 Capacitance measuring circuit

• Cx is very small
• Cs1 and Cs2 are large
• Measured Cx:

V3 = 2fVcCxRf + V1-V2
• Detection of 0.001 pF
• Sensitivity 1V/pF
 Capacitive Sensors for Thickness
Measurement


Utilizes high-performance,
complex sensors

Resolution down to less
than one nanometer

Thickness measurement:
capacitive vs. inductive

Ex: Measuring the
thickness of silicon wafers
 Capacitive Sensors for Thickness
Measurement
• Components:
• Probe: Device which emits
the electric field
• Probe Guard: Shapes the
electric field
• Circuitry: Measures very
small changes in
capacitance using complex
algorithms
 Capacitive Sensors for Thickness
Measurement
• Single channel:
• Only one sensor probe
• Non-flat surfaces produce
error

• Dual channel:
• Uses two sensors placed on
opposite sides of object to be
measured
• Nulls out curved surface errors
due to differential operation
 Capacitive Sensors for Thickness
Measurement

• Typical Applications?
• Machining
• Manufacturing
• Precision thickness
measurements
 Conclusion
• Background
• Water Level
• Air Bag deployment systems
• Touch sensors
• Vehicle detection system
• Thickness Measurement
• Questions?