A measuring arrangement includes an electrostatic concentrator, a surface and an imaging sensor which are configured to detect particles.

A displacement sensor for sensing a change in separation between a first element and a second element along a displacement direction. The sensor comprises a reference electrode mounted to the second element in the form of a conductive trace on a surface of the second element facing the first element. A deformable electrode, e.g. a conductive elastomeric material, is arranged between the first element and the second element so as to overlie the reference electrode. The deformable electrode has a contact surface facing the reference electrode and insulated therefrom. At least part of the contact surface is inclined relative to an opposing surface of the reference electrode such that when the deformable electrode is compressed along the displacement direction there is a reduction in volume between the contact surface and the opposing surface of the reference electrode, thereby changing the capacitive coupling between them. The sensor further comprises a controller element configured to measure a characteristic of the capacitive coupling between the reference electrode and the deformable electrode and to determine if a change in separation between the first element and the second element has occurred be determining if there is a change in the characteristic of capacitive coupling between the reference electrode and the deformable electrode.

A sensor for sensing angular movement of an object with a structure. Mounted on the structure are a stationary first portion and a second portion that is movable in rotation carrying respectively a first printed circuit and a second printed circuit centered on the axis of rotation and that face each other and that include conductive areas for forming capacitive sectors and, respectively, a primary excitation winding and a secondary excitation winding connected to the conductive areas of the second printed circuit; the first printed circuit being connected to an electronic control circuit arranged to create excitation signals that are transmitted by the first printed circuit to the second printed circuit by magnetic coupling, and to demodulate signals transmitted by the second printed circuit to the first printed circuit by capacitive coupling.

A probe, system, and method of capacitive sensing for detection of relative rotation of one tube with respect to a fixed tube of a probe is provided herewith. The probe includes an inner core, a concentric cylindrical tube, and at least one inner electrode fixed to the inner core and at least one outer electrode fixed to the cylindrical tube. The electrodes are rotationally aligned and form a capacitive sensor that can sense the rotation angle of the inner core compared to the cylindrical tube. This ability to sense relative rotation angle can be used to detect and/or correct for non-uniform rotational distortion.

A gear position detection device for detecting a gear having multiple fingers is provided. The detection device includes a substrate, a control chip, and a drive line, a sense line, a first drive electrode, a second drive electrode, a first sense electrode and a second sense electrode formed on the substrate. The first and second drive electrodes are connected to the drive line to receive a drive signal. The first and second sense electrodes form induced electric field respectively with the first and second drive electrodes, and respectively output a first detected signal and a second detected signal via the sense line. The control chip outputs the drive signal via the drive line, receives the first and second detected signals via the sense line, calculate a differential signal between the first and second detected signals, and count a number of high levels of the differential signal to count a finger number.

An electrostatic encoder (40) detects the rotation angle of a rotor (42) with great accuracy based on the change in the capacitance between electrodes arranged on a stator (41) and the rotor (42). Detection electrodes (44a to 44d) and transmission electrodes (45a to 45d) are arranged circumferentially and alternately on the stator (41). Detection signals (phase A, phase B) amplitude-modulated based on the rotation of the rotor (42) and having a mutual phase difference of 90 degrees are output from adjacent ones of the detection electrodes. Modulated signals (V1, V2) are generated by demodulating the detection signals having a mutual phase difference of 90 degrees. Applying resolver-digital (RD) conversion processing to the modulated signals allows obtaining the rotation angle of the rotor.

A rotary encoder includes an electret unit, an electrostatic field sensor, and a controller. The electret unit generates an electrostatic field. The electrostatic field sensor is disposed proximate to the electret unit to sense a modulation of the electrostatic field that varies with rotation of one or more rotary components of the rotary encoder about a rotation axis of the rotary encoder. The controller is electrically coupled to the electrostatic field sensor to track activations of the electrostatic field sensor as the one or more rotary components rotate. The controller is configured to digitally encode a rotational position of the one or more rotary components based upon the activations.

A gear position detection device for detecting a gear having multiple fingers is provided. The detection device includes a substrate, a control chip, and a drive line, a sense line, a first drive electrode, a second drive electrode, a first sense electrode and a second sense electrode formed on the substrate. The first and second drive electrodes are connected to the drive line to receive a drive signal. The first and second sense electrodes form induced electric field respectively with the first and second drive electrodes, and respectively output a first detected signal and a second detected signal via the sense line. The control chip outputs the drive signal via the drive line, receives the first and second detected signals via the sense line, calculate a differential signal between the first and second detected signals, and count a number of high levels of the differential signal to count a finger number.

The displacement detector is configured to receive a transmission signal output from a transmission signal output unit by a reception electrode disposed in a detection head to detect a displacement between the detection head and a scale based on the received signal. The transmission signal is transmitted from a transmission electrode disposed in the detection head to the reception electrode through a coupling electrode disposed in the scale. Phase adjustment units generates a signal whose phase is adjusted from the transmission signal output from the transmission signal output unit. An amplitude adjustment unit adjusts an amplitude of the signal whose phase is adjusted by the phase adjustment unit to generate a crosstalk correction signal. A demodulation unit samples a signal generated by synthesizing the crosstalk correction signal and the received signal and to demodulate the sampled signal.

A displacement measurement device for a sensing device. The sensing device includes a first displacement sensor. The displacement measurement device includes: a drive signal generating circuit configured to output a drive signal to the first displacement sensor; a first signal processing circuit configured to receive a signal from the first displacement sensor and output a first ADSO signal; and a computing device including a first timer. The first timer is configured to receive a CLK512 signal and the first ADSO signal, and time or count according to the CLK512 signal and the first ADSO signal; and the CLK512 signal is a square wave signal related to a period and phase of the drive signal.