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(QUICK START GUIDE) Make An Arduino Capacitance Meter

This document provides circuit diagrams and Arduino code to create three capacitance meter circuits that together can accurately measure capacitance from 10 pF to 3,900 μF. Each circuit uses a basic RC circuit with a known resistor value and an unknown capacitor value. By measuring the time constant of the RC circuit, the Arduino code can calculate the unknown capacitance value using the formula C = TC/R, where C is capacitance, TC is the time constant, and R is the known resistor value.

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Oussama Labsaili
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110 views

(QUICK START GUIDE) Make An Arduino Capacitance Meter

This document provides circuit diagrams and Arduino code to create three capacitance meter circuits that together can accurately measure capacitance from 10 pF to 3,900 μF. Each circuit uses a basic RC circuit with a known resistor value and an unknown capacitor value. By measuring the time constant of the RC circuit, the Arduino code can calculate the unknown capacitance value using the formula C = TC/R, where C is capacitance, TC is the time constant, and R is the known resistor value.

Uploaded by

Oussama Labsaili
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Circuit Basics

Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and DIY Electronics Tutorials

QUICK START GUIDE


How to Make an Arduino Capacitance
Meter
SUMMARY
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a single Arduino
capacitance meter circuit that could accurately measure the
full range of commonly used capacitors. However, I found
MATERIALS
three different circuits that together accurately measure • Arduino Uno
capacitance in the 10 pF to 3,900 µF range. The circuit • Breadboard
diagrams and Arduino code for each circuit are provided • 16X2 LCD (Optional)
below. • Jumper Wires
Each of these capacitance meters rely on a basic property of • 10K Ω, 220 Ω, 3.1K Ω, 1.8K
RC circuits- the time constant. The time constant is defined Ω Resistors
as the time it takes the voltage across the capacitor in an RC
circuit to reach 63.2% of its voltage when fully charged:
TC = R x C

TC: time constant of the capacitor (in seconds) RESOURCES


R: resistance of the circuit (in Ohms) • Arduino Forums
C: capacitance of the capacitor (in Farads) • Circuit Basics

This formula can be rearranged to solve for capacitance:


C = TC / R

Each capacitance meter has an RC circuit with known


resistor values and an unknown capacitor value. The
Arduino will measure the voltage at the capacitor and
record the time it takes to reach 63.2% of it's voltage when
fully charged (the time constant). Since the resistance value
is already known, we can use the formula above in a
program that will calculate the unknown capacitance.
Circuit Basics
Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and DIY Electronics Tutorials

3900 µF to 1 µF Capacitance Meter


Follow this diagram to set up this capacitance meter:

R1 = 10K Ohms

R2 = 220 Ohms
Circuit Basics
Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and DIY Electronics Tutorials

Upload this code to the Arduino, then open the serial monitor:

#define analogPin 0
#define chargePin 13
#define dischargePin 11
#define resistorValue 10000.0F

unsigned long startTime;


unsigned long elapsedTime;
float microFarads;
float nanoFarads;

void setup(){
pinMode(chargePin, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(chargePin, LOW);
Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop(){
digitalWrite(chargePin, HIGH);
startTime = millis();
while(analogRead(analogPin) < 648){
}

elapsedTime= millis() - startTime;


microFarads = ((float)elapsedTime / resistorValue) * 1000;
Serial.print(elapsedTime);
Serial.print(" mS ");

if (microFarads > 1){


Serial.print((long)microFarads);
Serial.println(" microFarads");
}

else{
nanoFarads = microFarads * 1000.0;
Serial.print((long)nanoFarads);
Serial.println(" nanoFarads");
delay(500);
}

digitalWrite(chargePin, LOW);
pinMode(dischargePin, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(dischargePin, LOW);
while(analogRead(analogPin) > 0){
}

pinMode(dischargePin, INPUT);
}
Circuit Basics
Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and DIY Electronics Tutorials

180 μF to 0.0047 μF Capacitance Meter


Wire up the circuit like this:

R1= 10K Ohm

R2= 3.1K Ohm

R3= 1.8K Ohm


Circuit Basics
Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and DIY Electronics Tutorials

Upload this code to the Arduino and open the serial monitor:
const byte pulsePin = 2;
const unsigned long resistance = 10000;

volatile boolean triggered;


volatile boolean active;
volatile unsigned long startTime;
volatile unsigned long duration;

ISR (ANALOG_COMP_vect)
{
unsigned long now = micros ();
if (active)
{
duration = now - startTime;
triggered = true;
digitalWrite (pulsePin, LOW);
}
}

void setup ()
{
pinMode(pulsePin, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(pulsePin, LOW);
Serial.begin(9600);
Serial.println("Started.");
ADCSRB = 0;
ACSR = _BV (ACI)
| _BV (ACIE)
| _BV (ACIS0) | _BV (ACIS1);
}

void loop ()
{
if (!active)
{
active = true;
triggered = false;
digitalWrite (pulsePin, HIGH);
startTime = micros ();
}

if (active && triggered)


{
active = false;
Serial.print ("Capacitance = ");
Serial.print (duration * 1000 / resistance);
Serial.println (" nF");
triggered = false;
delay (3000);
}
}
Circuit Basics
Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and DIY Electronics Tutorials

470 μF to 18 pF Capacitance Meter


Wire up the circuit like this:

Upload this code to the Arduino, then open the serial monitor:

const int OUT_PIN = A2;


const int IN_PIN = A0;
const float IN_STRAY_CAP_TO_GND = 24.48;
const float IN_CAP_TO_GND = IN_STRAY_CAP_TO_GND;
const float R_PULLUP = 34.8;
const int MAX_ADC_VALUE = 1023;

void setup()
{
pinMode(OUT_PIN, OUTPUT);
pinMode(IN_PIN, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop()
{
pinMode(IN_PIN, INPUT);
digitalWrite(OUT_PIN, HIGH);
int val = analogRead(IN_PIN);
digitalWrite(OUT_PIN, LOW);
Circuit Basics
Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and DIY Electronics Tutorials

if (val < 1000)


{
pinMode(IN_PIN, OUTPUT);

float capacitance = (float)val * IN_CAP_TO_GND / (float)(MAX_ADC_VALUE -


val);

Serial.print(F("Capacitance Value = "));


Serial.print(capacitance, 3);
Serial.print(F(" pF ("));
Serial.print(val);
Serial.println(F(") "));
}
else
{
pinMode(IN_PIN, OUTPUT);
delay(1);
pinMode(OUT_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP);
unsigned long u1 = micros();
unsigned long t;
int digVal;

do
{
digVal = digitalRead(OUT_PIN);
unsigned long u2 = micros();
t = u2 > u1 ? u2 - u1 : u1 - u2;
} while ((digVal < 1) && (t < 400000L));

pinMode(OUT_PIN, INPUT);
val = analogRead(OUT_PIN);
digitalWrite(IN_PIN, HIGH);
int dischargeTime = (int)(t / 1000L) * 5;
delay(dischargeTime);
pinMode(OUT_PIN, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(OUT_PIN, LOW);
digitalWrite(IN_PIN, LOW);

float capacitance = -(float)t / R_PULLUP


/ log(1.0 - (float)val / (float)MAX_ADC_VALUE);

Serial.print(F("Capacitance Value = "));


if (capacitance > 1000.0)
{
Serial.print(capacitance / 1000.0, 2);
Serial.print(F(" uF"));
}
else
{
Serial.print(capacitance, 2);
Serial.print(F(" nF"));
}
Circuit Basics
Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and DIY Electronics Tutorials

Serial.print(F(" ("));
Serial.print(digVal == 1 ? F("Normal") : F("HighVal"));
Serial.print(F(", t= "));
Serial.print(t);
Serial.print(F(" us, ADC= "));
Serial.print(val);
Serial.println(F(")"));
}
while (millis() % 1000 != 0)
;
}

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