Showing posts with label capacitive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label capacitive. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Capacitive Sensor

The purpose of this schema is to animate shop-windows by means of a capacitive sensor placed behind a post-card-like banner. The card is placed against the glass inside the shop-window, and the visitor can activate the relay placing his hand on the card, from the outside. Especially suited for toy-shops, the schema can activate model trains, small electric racing cars, lights etc. Further applications are left at users imagination. Adopt it to increase the impact of your shop-window on next Christmas season



Capacitive


Parts:

R1,R2_____1M 1/4W Resistors
R3,R4____47K 1/4W Resistors

C1_______10µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C2______470pF 630V Ceramic or Polyester Capacitor

D1-D3____1N4002 100V 1A Diodes

Q1-Q3_____BC337 45V 800mA NPN Transistors

RL1_______Relay with SPDT 2A @ 220V switch
Coil Voltage 12V. Coil resistance 200-300 Ohm

J1________Two ways output socket

Sensor____Aluminium or copper thin sheet with the dimensions of a post-card,
glued at the rear of the same (about 15x10.5 cm.)

Thin screened cable




Q1, Q2 & Q3 form a high impedance super-Darlington that drives the relay, amplifying the 50 or 60Hz alternate mains-supply frequency induced in the sensor by the human body. C1, D2 & D3 ensure a clean switching of the relay. Power supply can be any commercial wall plug-in transformer adapter with rectifier and smoothing capacitor, capable of supplying the voltage and current necessary to power the relay you intend to use.
Note:

* For proper operation, schema ground must be connected via a small value, high voltage-rating capacitor to one side of the mains supply socket. The "Live" side is the right one.