摘要 |
A non-contacting electrostatic detector comprising a detector electrode sensitive to an electrostatic quantity, a modulator coupled to the electrode for moving the electrode relative to a surface bearing the electrostatic quantity to which the electrode is exposed to produce capactive modulation of the physical capacitance beween the electrode and the surface, and an amplifier having an inverting input serving as a summing node and a non-inverting input, the electrode being connected to the inverting input and the amplifier being connected as a summing amplifier by an impedance connected between the amplifier output and the inverting input. An a.c. voltage signal having a frequency equal to the frequency of the modulator is applied to the non-inverting input of the amplifier. The amplitude and phase of the a.c. voltage signal have values resulting in zero net current flow through the impedance, and the amplitude and phase values are proportional to the magnitude and polarity of the electrostatic quantity on the surface.
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