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Simple displacement-measuring circuit senses capacitance between two parallel conducting plates and produces output signal, with frequency proportional to distance between plates. Principle of circuit provides advantages over other methods because of frequency-encoded output and high linearity. Used to measure displacements.
Silicon dioxide films grown under dry and wet oxidation environment on beta-SiC films have been studied. The beta-SiC films had been heteroepitaxially grown on both on-axis and 2-deg off-axis (001) Si substrates. Capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor structures were measured in a frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 MHz. From these measurements, the interface trap density and the effective fixed oxide charge density were observed to be generally lower for off-axis samples.
Improved capacitive sensor used to detect presence and/or measure thickness of layer of liquid. Electrical impedance or admittance of sensor measured at prescribed frequency, and thickness of liquid inferred from predetermined theoretical or experimental relationship between impedance and thickness. Sensor is basically a three-terminal device. Features interdigitated driving and sensing electrodes and peripheral coplanar ground electrode that reduces parasitic effects. Patent-pending because first to utilize ground plane as "shunting" electrode. System less expensive than infrared, microwave, or refractive-index systems. Sensor successfully evaluated in commercial production plants to characterize emulsions, slurries, and solutions.
The S-parameters of several different quantum well double barrier diodes have been measured. A technique has been developed for measuring whisker contacted diodes with an HP 8510B automatic network analyzer. Special coaxial mounts using K-connectors were designed to enable measurements up to 20 GHz. The voltage-dependent conductance and capacitance were derived from the measured reflection coefficient of each device. The C/V characteristics were observed to exhibit an anomalous increase at voltages corresponding to the negative differential resistance region (NDR). These are the first reported S-parameter measurements in the negative differential resistance region of quantum well double barrier diodes. A theory is presented that explains, in part, the observed results.
Crosstalk eliminated by maintaining voltages on all electrodes at same amplitude, phase, and frequency. Each output feedback-derived control voltage, change of which indicates proximity-induced change in capacitance of associated sensing electrode. Sensors placed close together, enabling imaging of sort. Images and/or output voltages used to guide robots in proximity to various objects.
Improved capacitive proximity sensors constructed by incorporating one or more additional driven shield(s). Sensitivity and range of sensor altered by adjusting driving signal(s) applied to shield(s). Includes sensing electrode and driven isolating shield that correspond to sensing electrode and driven shield.
A phase discriminating capacitive sensor array system which provides multiple sensor elements which are maintained at a phase and amplitude based on a frequency reference provided by a single frequency stabilized oscillator. Sensor signals provided by the multiple sensor elements are controlled by multiple phase control units, which correspond to the multiple sensor elements, to adjust the sensor signals from the multiple sensor elements based on the frequency reference. The adjustment made to the sensor signals is indicated by output signals which indicate the proximity of the object. The output signals may also indicate the closing speed of the object based on the rate of change of the adjustment made, and the edges of the object based on a sudden decrease in the adjustment made.
Like other capaciflectors described in prior articles in NASA Tech Briefs, this one includes sensing electrode driven by alternating voltage, giving rise to electric field in vicinity of electrode; object entering electric field detected by its effect on capacitance between sensing electrode and electrical ground. Also includes shielding electrode (in this case, driven shield 1), excited via voltage follower at same voltage as that applied to sensing electrode to concentrate more of electric field outward from sensing electrode, increasing sensitivity and range of sensor. Because shielding electrode driven via voltage follower, it does not present significant electrical load to source of alternating voltage.
Improved class of compact, high-resolution capacitive displacement sensors operates at excitation frequency of 915 MHz and measures about 7.5 by 4 by 2 centimeters. Contains commercially available 915-MHz oscillator and transmission-line resonator. Resonator contains stripline inductor in addition to variable capacitor. Ultrahigh excitation frequency offers advantages of resolution and frequency response. Not deleteriously affected by mechanical overdriving, or contact between electrodes.
Multiple capacitive sensors and active targets used to measure distance between, and relative orientation of, two objects. Sensed target signals processed and used by control systems to align objects to be joined. Shapes, sizes, and layouts of sensors and targets optimized for specific application. Particular layout of targets and sensors enables determination of relative position and orientation of two objects in all six degrees of freedom.
Steerable capacitive proximity sensor of "capaciflector" type based partly on sensing units described in GSC-13377 and GSC-13475. Position of maximum sensitivity adjusted without moving sensor. Voltage of each driven shield adjusted separately to concentrate sensing electric field more toward one side or other.
A capacitor having two substantially parallel conductive faces is acoustically coupled to a conductive sample end such that the sample face is one end of the capacitor. A non-contacting dielectric may serve as a spacer between the two conductive plates. The formed capacitor is connected to an LC oscillator circuit such as a Hartley oscillator circuit producing an output frequency which is a function of the capacitor spacing. This capacitance oscillates as the sample end coating is oscillated by an acoustic wave generated in the sample by a transmitting transducer. The electrical output can serve as an absolute indicator of acoustic wave displacement.
Modeling of interconnects and associated discontinuities with the recent advances high-speed digital circuits has gained a considerable interest over the last decade although the theoretical bases for analyzing these structures were well-established as early as the 1960s. Ongoing research at the present time is focused on devising methods which can be applied to more general geometries than the ones considered in earlier days and, at the same time, improving the computational efficiency and accuracy of these methods. In this thesis, numerically efficient methods to compute the transmission line parameters of a multiconductor system and the equivalent capacitances of various strip discontinuities are presented based on the quasi-static approximation. The presented techniques are applicable to conductors embedded in an arbitrary number of dielectric layers with two possible locations of ground planes at the top and bottom of the dielectric layers. The cross-sections of conductors can be arbitrary as long as they can be described with polygons. An integral equation approach in conjunction with the collocation method is used in the presented methods. A closed-form Green's function is derived based on weighted real images thus avoiding nested infinite summations in the exact Green's function; therefore, this closed-form Green's function is numerically more efficient than the exact Green's function. All elements associated with the moment matrix are computed using the closed-form formulas. Various numerical examples are considered to verify the presented methods, and a comparison of the computed results with other published results showed good agreement.
Instrument makes nonintrusive, real-time capacitive measurements to determine volume fraction of vapor or other gas in flowing, electrically nonconductive liquid/gas mixture. Works even with liquids having relatively low permittivities. Useful for measuring proportions of vapor in boiling, condensing, and flowing heat-transfer fluids and in cryogenic fluids.
Apparatus measures work function of possibly contaminated surface of specimen of metal or other electrically conductive material. Measures work function of specimen indirectly, by vibrating capacitive measurement of contact potential. Work function of specimen affected by microstructure and by contamination.
This paper presents a collocated capacitance sensor for magnetic bearings. The main feature of the sensor is that it is made of a specific compact printed circuit board (PCB). The signal processing unit has been also developed. The results of the experimental performance evaluation on the sensitivity, resolution and frequency response of the sensor are presented. Finally, an application example of the sensor to the active control of a magnetic bearing is described.
The present invention provides for in vivo measurements of the principal strain magnitudes and directions, and maximum shear strain that occurs in a material, such as human bone, when it is loaded (or subjected to a load). In one embodiment the invention includes a capacitive delta extensometer arranged with six sensors in a three piece configuration, with each sensor of each pair spaced apart from each other by 120 degrees.
This letter reports the miniaturization of a planar Wilkinson power divider by capacitive loading of the quarter wave transmission lines employed in conventional Wilkinson power dividers. Reduction of the transmission line segments from lambda/4 to between lambda/5 and lambda/12 are reported here. The input and output lines at the three ports and the lines comprising the divider itself are coplanar waveguide (CPW) and asymmetric coplanar stripline (ACPS), respectively. The 10 GHZ power dividers are fabricated on high resistivity silicon (HRS) and alumina wafers. These miniaturized dividers are 74% smaller than conventional Wilkinson power dividers, and have a return loss better than +30 dB and an insertion loss less than 0.55 dB. Design equations and a discussion about the effect of parasitic reactance on the isolation are presented for the first time.