Self Capacitance Mismatch Calibration Technique for Fully-Differential Touch Screen Panel Self Capacitance Sensing System.

This paper presents a fully-differential touch screen panel (TSP) self-capacitance sensing (SCS) system with a self-capacitance mismatch calibration technique. Due to the self-capacitance mismatch of TSP, the analog front-end (AFE) of the receiver (RX) circuit suffers from dynamic range degradation and gain limitations, which lead to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss for the TSP SCS system. The proposed calibration introduces the difference in input resistance and the driving amplifier's strength between the fully-differential input. Thus, the mismatch effect is efficiently relieved in terms of area and power consumption. The proposed calibration restores the SNR by 19.54 dB even under the worst self-capacitance mismatch case.

Modular Electromagnetic Transducer for Optimized Energy Transfer via Electric and/or Magnetic Fields.

In this paper, a modular electromagnetic transducer that achieves the optimal transfer of energy from the electric and/or magnetic fields is proposed. Both the magnetic field resonance coupling and the influence of the electric field near the copper transducers of the printed circuit board and inside the FR4-type epoxy material are considered. In our printed arrays of flat transducers, we consider face-to-face capacitances for the study of resonance coupling. Because the space between coil turns is almost double the plate thickness, the coplanar capacitance can be ignored for frequencies under 2 MHz. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter and transducer were built to demonstrate the increased energy transfer efficiency when using both electric and magnetic fields in the near-field region. The transversal leakage flux coupling of a long RF coil was more efficient than a simple axial magnetic field coupling when using pancake transceiver coils. The optimal configuration having one long coil at the base and two or more flat coils as capacitor plates near coil ends generated the highest tandem of magnetic and electrical fields. A power regression tool was used to convert and simplify the transducer current and voltage variation with distance. In this regard, the current change corresponded to magnetic field variation and the voltage change to the electric field variation. New formulas for estimating the near-field region and the self-capacitance of the RF transformer coil are proposed; the optimal function in the frequency domain for a given transducer distance was defined by simulation.

Development and Experimental Comparison of Low-Cost, Reliable Capacitive Touch Sensing Boards.

In this study, two types of direct interface capacitive sensors, self- and mutual-capacitance, were developed and compared experimentally. Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) tests-International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61000-4-3, IEC 61000-4-4, IEC 61000-4-6-were applied in an accredited laboratory to measure the immunity of the sensors against radiated and conducted interference. The frequency hopping algorithm could be implemented for the mutual-capacitance sensor without using any particular circuit. The effects of EMC disturbance were detected by means of a new noise detection algorithm and when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) became lower, the operation frequency of the sensors switched to an undisturbed frequency to ensure safe operation. For this purpose, a new noise detection algorithm was developed and frequency hopping was performed with a standard controller. Both cards were tested under several conditions and their performances compared.

Readout Circuits for Capacitive Sensors.

The development of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) processes enables the integration of capacitive sensors into silicon integrated circuits. These sensors have been gaining considerable attention as a solution for mobile and internet of things (IoT) devices because of their low power consumption. In this study, we introduce the operating principle of representative capacitive sensors and discuss the major technical challenges, solutions, and future tasks for a capacitive readout system. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is the most important performance parameter for a sensor system that measures changes in physical quantities; in addition, power consumption is another important factor because of the characteristics of mobile and IoT devices. Signal power degradation and noise, which degrade the SNR in the sensor readout system, are analyzed; circuit design approaches for degradation prevention are discussed. Further, we discuss the previous efforts and existing studies that focus on low power consumption. We present detailed circuit techniques and illustrate their effectiveness in suppressing signal power degradation and achieving lower noise levels via application to a design example of an actual MEMS microphone readout system.

Curvature-Induced Anomalous Enhancement in the Work Function of Nanostructures.

An analytical theory to estimate the electronic work function in curved geometries is formulated under Thomas-Fermi approximation. The work function is framed as the work against the electrostatic self-capacitive energy. The contribution of surface curvature is characterized by mean and Gaussian curvature (through multiple scattering expansion). The variation in work function of metal and semimetal nanostructures is shown as the consequence of surface radius of curvature comparable to electronic screening length. For ellipsoidal particles, the maximum value of work function is observed at the equator and poles for oblate and prolate particles, respectively, whereas triaxial ellipsoid shows nonuniform distribution of the work function over the surface. Similarly, theory predicts manifold increase in the work function for a particle with atomic scale roughness. Finally, the theory is validated with experimental data, and it is concluded that the work function of a nanoparticle can be tailored through its shape.