An automated data collection exercise: capacitance position sensor

This exercise represents a semester long project in a course entitled Automated Data Collection. The course was broken into four parts. First, sensor design was discussed in general with a position sensor, implemented as a parallel plate capacitor with movable dielectric, as an example. Second, op amp circuits for signal conditioning were discussed. Third, analog filter design was developed for frequency alteration and anti-aliasing filtration. Fourth, analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) techniques were discussed. This exercise integrated the course content and allowed the students to simulate a position sensor data collection system