SNOA930C March   2015  – May 2021 LDC0851 , LDC1001 , LDC1001-Q1 , LDC1041 , LDC1051 , LDC1101 , LDC1312 , LDC1312-Q1 , LDC1314 , LDC1314-Q1 , LDC1612 , LDC1612-Q1 , LDC1614 , LDC1614-Q1 , LDC2112 , LDC2114 , LDC3114 , LDC3114-Q1

 

  1.   Trademarks
  2. 1The Sensor
    1. 1.1 Sensor Frequency
    2. 1.2 RS and RP
      1. 1.2.1 AC Resistance
      2. 1.2.2 Skin Effect
  3. 2Inductor Characteristics
    1. 2.1 Inductor Shape
      1. 2.1.1 Example Uses of Different Inductor Shapes
    2. 2.2 Number of Turns
    3. 2.3 Multiple Layers
      1. 2.3.1 Mutual Inductance of Coils in Series
      2. 2.3.2 Multi-Layer Parallel Inductor
      3. 2.3.3 Temperature Compensation
    4. 2.4 Inductor Size
    5. 2.5 Self-Resonance Frequency
      1. 2.5.1 Measurement of SRF
      2. 2.5.2 Techniques to Improve SRF for Wire-wound Inductors
  4. 3Capacitor Characteristics
    1. 3.1 Capacitor RS, Q, and SRF
    2. 3.2 Effect of Parasitic Capacitance
      1. 3.2.1 Recommended Capacitor Values
    3. 3.3 Capacitor Placement
  5. 4Physical Coil Design
    1. 4.1 Example Design Procedure Using WEBENCH
      1. 4.1.1 General Design Sequence
    2. 4.2 PCB Layout Recommendations
      1. 4.2.1 Minimize Conductors Near Sensor
      2. 4.2.2 Sensor Vias and Other Techniques for PCBs
  6. 5Summary
  7. 6References
  8. 7Revision History

2.1 Inductor Shape

The inductor shape is an important characteristic of the inductor because it determines the shape of the generated magnetic field. A circular spiral generates a more symmetrical magnetic field than other shapes, and is the optimum shape from an inductance verus RS consideration. In general, it is recommended to use a circular inductor for the highest possible sensing capabilities, unless specific system requirements warrant the tradeoffs of an alternative shape.

For nearly all proximity applications, in which a target is moved orthogonally to the sensor plane, the appropriate shape is a circular sensor that has the best Q (and lowest RS) for a given area, as shown in Figure 2-2.

GUID-6B2C373B-B377-4B0C-83D5-1AA8674B0B64-low.gifFigure 2-2 Axial Sensing with Circular Spiral Inductor

For other applications, different shapes may be more suitable. For PCB based sensors, designing alternative shapes is much easier than wire-wound inductors. For example, rectangular coils can be used to sense accurate movement along the X-axis while having reduced sensitivity to a shift in the Y-axis.