Capacitive Rain Sensor for

Automatic Wiper Control

ECE 480 – Team 6
In Order of Presentation:
Ishaan Sandhu
Danny Kang
Arslan Qaiser
Eric Otte
Anuar Tazabekov

1
 Outline
• Introduction
• Design Requirements
• Proposed Design Solution
• Testing Results
• Budget
• Demonstration
• Conclusions

2
 Introduction
• Automotive Safety and Convenience
• Automatic Headlights
• Hands-Free Calling
• Automatic Braking
• Automatic Windshield Wipers
– Currently Optical (Expensive, Inaccurate)
– DT6 Proposes Using a Capacitive Based Sensor

3
 Capacitive Sensor Basics

Sensor Traces E-field Generated

Objects Interfere Capacitance of
Form Base by Applying AC
with E-field Sensor Changes
Capacitance Voltage

4
 Design Requirements
Functionality Compatibility
• Detect rain through 6 mm of glass • Fit in existing housing area (1250 mm2)
• Output control signals to wipers • Mount via adhesive to windshield

Accuracy Cost
• Differentiate multiple levels of rain • Production cost < $16 per unit
• Ignore false stimuli on windshield, i.e.
hands and dirt

5
 System Block Diagram

Capacitive Wiper
Control Unit
Sensor System

6
 Design Flowchart

Voltage
Activate
Regulator YES
(5 V DC) Wipers

Capacitive-to-
Capacitive Is Capacitance
Digital
Sensor Traces Microcontroller Between
Converter
on PCB X ≤ Farads ≤ Y ?
Circuit

NO Keep Wipers
Off

Control Unit
7
 Sensor Traces
COMSOL
• 3D Modeling Software
• Visual User Interface
• Calculates the base
capacitance
• Can model dielectrics
– Top layer
– Bottom Layer
• Simulates electric field
lines
– Sensitivity

8
 Capacitance-to-Digital Converter
Make text larger
Analog Devices AD7745
• Industry-leading accuracy down to 4 fF change in capacitance

• Interfaces with sensor traces to monitor capacitance (+/- 4 pF)

• Converts changing capacitance to 24-bit digital output signal

• Output routed to PIC using the I2C communication system

9
 Microcontroller
Make text larger
Microchip PIC16F1826
• 8-bit microcontroller, programmable in C code

• Initializes and configures AD7745 for operation

• Streams data from AD7745 and compares to known data ranges

• Data falling in range will activate appropriate wiper control signals

10
 Budget
COMPONENT COST
PIC16F1826 Microcontroller $0.90

AD7745 CDC $4.50

ADP3301-5 Voltage Regulator $1.40

Surface-mount Passive Components $0.10

Two-layer PCB Production and Assembly $4.00 (est)

Plastic Enclosure $0.50 (est)

Total $11.40 (est)

11
 Capacitive vs. Optical
Design Team 6 Supplier (TRW) Change

Technology Capacitive Optical

Cost per Unit $11.40 $16.41 31% ↓

Physical Size 1,750 mm2 3,850 mm2 46% ↓

Detection Area 960 mm2 560 mm2 72% ↑

Clear line of site No need Required

12
 Software
Visual Basic Application Microcontroller

Start Start

Login Wait for

Interrupt
Main
Initialize
Wait for UI

Start Reset

Clear all
Fields
Get Data Get Data

Graph and
Interpret

13
Demonstration

14
 Conclusions
• Successful completion of the project
• Exceeds all design requirements
• Higher accuracy
• Larger sensing area
• Smaller enclosure
• Significant savings

15
Q&A

16
Thank You

17