Force Transducer

Lucas Hofer
June 13, 2014
Dates Performed:
Instructor:

April 1, 2014-June 13, 2014

Professor Brown
Abstract

The project constructed was a force transducer. The goal of the project
was to build a parallel plate capacitor which would be sensitive to force.
Additionally, the capacitor would be calibrated with known weights to
determine the response in capacitance. A graphical interface was desired
that could also manipulate data, so an Arduino UNO with Labview programming was used.

Introduction

This project was based of the circuit that can be seen in Figure 1. The capacitance CT , the sensor capacitance, is the desired, measurable quantity, while C1
is stray capacitance found in the circuit.

Figure 1: Diagram of the capacitive sensing circuit

C=

q
q
V =
V
C
1

V2 =

q
q
& V1 =
C
C1

Where C is the capacitance the circuit sees at V1 . However

1
1
1
=
+
C
CT
C1
C1 + CT
=
CT C1
C =

CT C1
C1 + CT

Taking a ratio of V1 over V2 gives

( )
C
CT C1
CT
CT V2
V1
1
=
=
=
V1 =
V2
C1
C1 C1 + CT
C1 + CT
C1 + CT
Solving for C1 and CT yields
CT V2
C1 + CT
V1 (C1 + CT ) = CT V2
V1 =

V1 C1 + V1 CT = CT V2
V1 C1 = CT (V2 V1 )
C1 =

CT
(V2 V1 )
V1

(1)

V1 C1
V2 V1

(2)

CT =

By sending the voltage high at V1 and measuring the voltage at V2 , only two unknowns are left. The quantity desired is CT . To find C1 , the stray capacitance,
a capacitor of know capacitance is inserted for CT . The voltage is sent high at
V1 , the voltage read at V2 and using equation (1), C1 can than be calculated.
After finding C1 the variable capacitor is replaced for CT , and using equation
(2), CT can be calculated.

Experimental Arrangement and Procedure

To build the capacitive sensor initially, two 3 centimeter by 6 by .08128 centimeter aluminum plates were used along with polyurethane foam for the dielectric
in between. The polyurethane foam was selected for its capability to easily
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deform and quickly recover. Polyurethane itself has a relative permittivity of

3.5, however due to the material being in foam form, the relative permittivity
was actually much lower. Aluminum was chosen because of its lightness and
conductivity. Two holes were drilled in opposite corners of the sensor. The
aluminum around the holes was filed and a bolt driven through. This was done
because aluminum is oxidized by air and can create a nonconducting surface.
This first sensor gave relatively low capacitance values so a second capacitor was
constructed that doubled the area of the parallel plate capacitor so as to double
the capacitance. The length of this new sensor was increased from 6 cm to 12
cm. However with this plate, 4 holes were drilled in each of the corners of the
bottom plate so standos could be mounted to keep the sensor in conductive
isolation (as can be seen in Figure 2).

Figure 2: Constructed sensor made of aluminum plates, standos and

polyurethane.

The polyurethane was cut into four small squares. After this holes were cut into
the squares. The squares were placed around the screws and in between the two
parallel plates as can be seen in Figure 2. Although placing foam throughout the
whole space between the sensor would slightly have increased the capacitance
due to the relative permittivity of the dielectric, it would have also increased
the force needed to compress the dielectric.
To measure the voltage at V2 and to send the voltage high at V1 , the analog
pins of an Arduino UNO were used. Initially, the program to send the pin high
at V1 and read the pin at V2 was written in Arduinos C based programming
environment. However graphical and user interface was desired so LIFA (Labview Interface For Arduino) was used.
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LIFA enabled the data to be recorded, analyzed and displayed graphically on

the Labview front panel (Figure 3). One waveform graph was used to display
the instantaneous capacitance measurement, while the other was used to display
approximately a half of second of measurements.
To calibrate the sensor, weights were placed on the sensor and readings taken.
Also the uncompressed and compressed distances between the plates were measured.

Figure 3: View of the programmed Labview frontpanel.

Data and Analysis

Data was taken by placing weights ranging from 0 grams to 950 grams on the
sensor. Approximately 2000 readings were taken for each weight and then averaged over. Looking at Figure 4, two distinct regions can be seen. The first
region, ranging from 0 grams to 300 grams, displays linear behavior while the
second region, ranging from 250 grams to 950 grams, displays exponential or
quadratic behavior.
A linear fit was taken for the first region and a quadratic fit was taken for
the second region. The first and second derivatives were matched to form a
continuous line and slope (Figure 5). The equation for the linear piece was

Figure 4: Data from weights on sensor

Figure 5: Fitted experimental capacitance curves

C = 17.388 + 1.2887 102 x

(3)

while the quadratic piece was

C = 19.728 3.6462 103 x + 2.9200 105 x2

(4)

where x is the mass in grams placed on the sensor

The first region displays linear behavior, because as the top plate is pressed
down, the dielectric material acts as a spring with spring constant K. Because
F = Kx

The material respond linearly to force upon its surface. However around 300
grams, where the response changes from linear to quadratic, the top plate begins to rest upon the four screws in each corner. At this point the aluminum
plate starts to deform into a parabolic shape which gives the quadratic response.
This was modeled theoretically to confirm the match in behavior. For the first
region the equation
k0 A
(5)
d
was used to determine the capacitance at the uncompressed distance of 4.3 millimeters and at the compressed distance of 2.8 millimeters. The uncompressed
distance was then associated with a weight of 0 grams, while the compressed
distance was associated with a weight of 283.122 grams, which is the exact position where the two regions meet. The linear equation from this was determined
to be
C=

C = 1.4027 102 x + 7.4127

To solve for the quadratic region, it was assumed that the plate formed a
parabolic shape when pressed upon. Breaking apart the A in equation 5
A = wl
and assuming that l is dierential dx, while
d = ax2 + c
for the parabolic shape of the top capacitor plate, then

C = k0 w

l
2

2l

1
dx
+c

ax2

which yields
2k0 w arctan

C=
ac

(6)

( l a)
2

(7)

where w = 3cm, l = 12cm and a and c are so far undetermined. However

at 2l , which is the endpoints above the screws, the distance dc is always the
compressed distance of 2.8 millimeters so
dc = a

( )2
l
+c
2

which can be solved for c

c = dc a

( )2
l
2

thereby leaving equation 7 with only a unknown.

Taking 283.122 grams to be where c is 2.8 millimeters (deformation of the plate
is just starting here), 950 grams to be where c is .5 millimeters (the largest
deformation) and numerically solving using the above equations, the equation
C = 19.198 3.9378 102 x + 5.4966 105 x2
is recovered.
Graphing the theoretically predicted capacitance lines with the data in Figure 6,
shows that the predicted lines dont line up with the experimental data. However if the linear line is shifted up by 10 picoFarads and the quadratic line is
shifted up 11.15 picoFarads (as can be seen in Figure 7), they do line up.

Figure 6: Theoretically predicted capacitance curves.

Reasoning for this shift include, stray electrical signals, edge eects, screw heads
in between the plate, and wires running from the sensor to the Arduino which
contribute capacitance themselves (possibly on order of the shift seen). The
capacitance added by the 5 screws was calculated and added approximately 2
picoFarads to the overall capacitance.
Although in the deformed region the capacitor did form a curve, it depended
on the distribution of weight on its surface. When the deformation would differ in shape, with the same amount of weight, the capacitance would change.
Therefore although the quadratic approximation is a fair estimate, discrepancies between the experimental and theoretically predicted curves around the
600 gram point can be explained by the fact that the curved capacitor surface
wasnt perfectly quadratic.

Figure 7: Shifted, theoretically predicted capacitance curves.

Conclusion

The constructed sensor was eective in measuring force of weights in the 0-9.31
Newton range (0-950grams). Improvements to the sensor could include electrical shielding to keep out the stray electrical signals, as well as using a bridge
circuit. Additionally a more sensitive dielectric could be found which would be
more responsive in the 0 to 100gram range, the region of most interest.