Comparison between numerical and passive integration of flat plate electric field sensor output

It is required to determine the best configuration for sensors to be used to in an electric field study on lightning occurring in the Johannesburg region. The tests performed were to determine the best sensor configuration to be used and to validate sensor output against a known source. Using a pair of flat plates an impulse was applied to the flat plates resulting in a known electric field. The output of the flat plate electric field sensor, was then compared to the known input. It was shown that despite the resistive load being the simplest to implement, it resulted in problems that require more advanced acquisition tools. Whereas using the passive integration of a capacitor, resulted in a more accurate output, which does not require complex acquisition hardware.