Pest detection using sensor with textured surface
A pest detection device including a capacitive sensor having a plurality of traces that can be capacitively sensed using self-capacitance or mutual capacitance measurements. The sensor including conductive shield traces to facilitate a number of sensing applications. The sensor including a coated portion to facilitate crawling of pests over the sensing area of the circuit board.
1. A pest detection device, comprising:
a sensing surface comprising a plurality of traces at least in part beneath a textured material, the textured material having sufficient texture to enable climbing pests to climb across the sensing surface mounted at a nonhorizontal angle of greater than about 30 degrees;
a controller connected to at least some of the plurality of traces of the sensing surface; and
a power supply connected to the controller.
2. The pest detection device of claim 1 , wherein the textured material includes pumice.
3. The pest detection device of claim 2 , wherein at least some of the plurality of traces and controller are configured to provide two independent capacitive sensors.
4. The pest detection device of claim 2 , wherein at least some of the plurality of traces and controller are configured to provide three independent capacitive sensors.
5. The pest detection device of claim 2 , wherein at least some of the plurality of traces and controller are configured to provide a plurality of capacitive sensors.
6. The pest detection device of claim 5 , wherein at least one capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors includes a trace that is of a different size or shape than a trace of another capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors.
7. The pest detection device of claim 5 , wherein at least one capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors includes a conductive trace disposed above a conductive shield layer.
8. The pest detection device of claim 5 , wherein each trace is shielded by a shield trace and is insulated from the shield trace.
9. The pest detection device of claim 7 , wherein each of the capacitive sensors of the plurality of capacitive sensors includes a trace that is of a different size or shape than a trace of another capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors.
10. The pest detection device of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the capacitive sensors includes a trace that is of a different size or shape than a trace of another capacitive sensor of the plurality of capacitive sensors.
11. The pest detection device of claim 5 , further comprising the controller configured to measure mutual capacitance of pairs of sensor traces.
12. The pest detection device of claim 5 , further comprising the controller configured to measure self-capacitance of each sensor with respect to ground.
13. The pest detection device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of capacitive sensors includes a trace on a circuit board and the solder mask is disposed over at least part of the trace.
14. The pest detection device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is connected to at least one trace to detect capacitance changes.
15. The pest detection device of claim 14 , wherein the controller includes a microprocessor.
16. The pest detection device of claim 14 , wherein the controller includes a microcontroller.
17. The pest detection device of claim 1 , wherein the textured material includes at least MT-11007 of texture.
18. The pest detection device of claim 2 , wherein the textured material includes at least MT-11007 of texture.
19. A method for making a sensor, comprising:
mounting a circuit board at a nonhorizontal angle, the circuit board including a plurality of traces wherein at least a portion of the traces are coated with a textured material that pests can more easily climb at the nonhorizontal angle of greater than about 30 degrees;
connecting a controller to at least two traces of the plurality of traces, the controller configured to sense capacitance of at least some of the plurality of traces; and
connecting a power supply to at least the controller.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the textured material includes pumice.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising disposing the circuit board and controller in a housing having an opening for pests to enter and climb on the circuit board.
22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising configuring the controller to detect bed bugs that climb onto the textured material.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the textured material includes at least MT-11007 of texture.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the textured material includes at least MT-11007 of texture.