Capacitance measuring device
Abstract
A capacitance measuring circuit is provided in which an unknown capacitance is measured by comparing the charge stored in the unknown capacitor with that stored in a known capacitance. Equal and opposite voltages are repetitively simultaneously switched onto the capacitors through an electronic switch driven by a pulse generator to charge the capacitors during the on portion of the cycle. The stored charge is compared by summing discharge currents flowing through matched resistors at the input of a current sensor during the off portion of the switching cycle. The net current measured is thus proportional to the difference in value of the two capacitances. The circuit is capable of providing much needed accuracy and stability to a great variety of capacitance based measurement devices at a relatively low cost.
- Publication:
-
Patent Application Department of Energy
- Pub Date:
- August 1984
- Bibcode:
- 1984doe..reptR....A
- Keywords:
-
- Capacitance;
- Capacitors;
- Measuring Instruments;
- Pulse Generators;
- Switching Circuits;
- Experiment Design;
- Patent Applications;
- Instrumentation and Photography