DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CAPACITIVE SENSORS FOR SOIL WATER CONTENT MEASUREMENT Eneng Riska Rahayu P.*, Ahmad Aminudin, Mimin Iryanti.
Physics Program, FPMIPA Universitas Pendidikaan Indonesia
Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No.229 Bandung
*Email : erahayuputri[at]gmail.com
Abstract
Soil water content is one of the measurable parameters which can be used as a reference in the selection of efficient land use. The methods used for measure the soil water content is gravimetric method which is commonly used for direct measuring and indirectly method with the measurement of traits related to water content, namely the dielectric constant (relative permittivity). Interdigital capacitor sensor is designed as a unit of measurement of soil water content. Interdigital capacitor sensor (IDC-S) is a capacitive sensor which is able to change the value of the physical parameters to electrical quantities (capacitance). The measurement of IDC-S capacitance value of soil water content variety was done. It is shown that greater percentage of soil water content cause greater value of capacitance. The greater number of sensor electrode increase its sensitivity. IDC-S has sensitivity of 5.589 pF for N= 200 electerodes, 4.6362 pF/% for N=150 electrodes and 3.8865 F/% for N=100 electrodes.
Keywords: Capacitive Sensor; Interdigital Capacitor Sensor; Diectric; Soil Water Content.
