Comparison of a 100-pF Capacitor With a 12 906-Ω Resistor Using a Digital Impedance Bridge.

We tested a digital impedance bridge in a hybrid structure for comparison of a capacitor with a resistor where the impedance ratio was measured in two separate parts. The modulus of the impedance ratio was matched arbitrarily close to the input-to-output ratio, in magnitude, of a two-stage inductive voltage divider by adjusting the operating frequency of the bridge; the residual deviation between the two together with the phase factor of the impedance ratio was measured using a custom detection system based on a four-channel 24-bit digitizer. The ratio of the inductive voltage divider was calibrated, , using a conventional four-arm bridge with two known capacitors.

Using a Natural Ratio to Compare DC and AC Resistances.

The simulation and construction of a direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) resistor, based on a silicon wafer, has been described and demonstrated. By applying the van der Pauw method and the Thompson-Lampard theorem, to within approximations accommodating the conditions of the resistor's construction, a constant resistance ratio, (π/ln2), was derived that is independent of the sample resistivity and thickness. The constant ratio, valued at approximately 20.

Eddy Current Rail Inspection Using AC Bridge Techniques.

AC bridge techniques commonly used for precision impedance measurements have been adapted to develop an eddy current sensor for rail defect detection. By using two detection coils instead of just one as in a conventional sensor, we can balance out the large baseline signals corresponding to a normal rail. We have significantly enhanced the detection sensitivity of the eddy current method by detecting and demodulating the differential signal of the two coils induced by rail defects, using a digital lock-in amplifier algorithm.