Chapter 1:
Fundamentals of electrostatics
& capacitance for capacitive touch sensors

Capacitive sensing can be overwhelming for a newcomer. The nature of the underlying electromagnetic phenomena is complex. That’s why many newcomers tend to cut corners. They tend to skip the part of understanding the physics involved and jump head-first to projects. Naturally, they soon feel lost and resort to trial and error.

This chapter contains all the knowledge we wish we had when we first started working on capacitive sensing. It will teach you the basics of electrostatics, conductors, and capacitance tailored to the need of a capacitive touch sensor designer.

Then you’ll familiarize yourself with one of the most useful concepts in capacitive sensing: the fundamental case of the parallel plate capacitor. Understanding this case can help you unlock the mysteries of capacitive sensing!

Finally, you’ll get an intuitive understanding of how certain parameters, like electrode geometry, dielectrics, and traces affects the performance of a capacitive touch sensor.