Microchip Technology Humidity Sensor PICtail User manual

©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A
Humidity Sensor
PICtail™ Demo Board
User’s Guide

DS51594A-page ii ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
Information contained in this publication regarding device
applications and the like is provided only for your convenience
and may be superseded by updates. It is your responsibility to
ensure that your application meets with your specifications.
MICROCHIP MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WAR-
RANTIES OF ANY KIND WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
WRITTEN OR ORAL, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE,
RELATED TO THE INFORMATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO ITS CONDITION, QUALITY, PERFORMANCE,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR PURPOSE.
Microchip disclaims all liability arising from this information and
its use. Use of Microchip’s products as critical components in
life support systems is not authorized except with express
written approval by Microchip. No licenses are conveyed,
implicitly or otherwise, under any Microchip intellectual property
rights.
Trademarks
The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo, Accuron,
dsPIC, KEELOQ, microID, MPLAB, PIC, PICmicro, PICSTART,
PRO MATE, PowerSmart, rfPIC, and SmartShunt are
registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated
in the U.S.A. and other countries.
AmpLab, FilterLab, Migratable Memory, MXDEV, MXLAB,
PICMASTER, SEEVAL, SmartSensor and The Embedded
Control Solutions Company are registered trademarks of
Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A.
Analog-for-the-Digital Age, Application Maestro, dsPICDEM,
dsPICDEM.net, dsPICworks, ECAN, ECONOMONITOR,
FanSense, FlexROM, fuzzyLAB, In-Circuit Serial
Programming, ICSP, ICEPIC, Linear Active Thermistor,
MPASM, MPLIB, MPLINK, MPSIM, PICkit, PICDEM,
PICDEM.net, PICLAB, PICtail, PowerCal, PowerInfo,
PowerMate, PowerTool, Real ICE, rfLAB, rfPICDEM, Select
Mode, Smart Serial, SmartTel, Total Endurance, UNI/O,
WiperLock and Zena are trademarks of Microchip Technology
Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries.
SQTP is a service mark of Microchip Technology Incorporated
in the U.S.A.
All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their
respective companies.
© 2005, Microchip Technology Incorporated, Printed in the
U.S.A., All Rights Reserved.
Printed on recycled paper.
Note the following details of the code protection feature on Microchip devices:
• Microchip products meet the specification contained in their particular Microchip Data Sheet.
• Microchip believes that its family of products is one of the most secure families of its kind on the market today, when used in the
intended manner and under normal conditions.
• There are dishonest and possibly illegal methods used to breach the code protection feature. All of these methods, to our
knowledge, require using the Microchip products in a manner outside the operating specifications contained in Microchip’s Data
Sheets. Most likely, the person doing so is engaged in theft of intellectual property.
• Microchip is willing to work with the customer who is concerned about the integrity of their code.
• Neither Microchip nor any other semiconductor manufacturer can guarantee the security of their code. Code protection does not
mean that we are guaranteeing the product as “unbreakable.”
Code protection is constantly evolving. We at Microchip are committed to continuously improving the code protection features of our
products. Attempts to break Microchip’s code protection feature may be a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If such acts
allow unauthorized access to your software or other copyrighted work, you may have a right to sue for relief under that Act.
Microchip received ISO/TS-16949:2002 quality system certification for
its worldwide headquarters, design and wafer fabrication facilities in
Chandler and Tempe, Arizona and Mountain View, California in
October 2003. The Company’s quality system processes and
procedures are for its PICmicro®8-bit MCUs, KEELOQ®code hopping
devices, Serial EEPROMs, microperipherals, nonvolatile memory and
analog products. In addition, Microchip’s quality system for the design
and manufacture of development systems is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

HUMIDITY SENSOR PICTAIL™
DEMO BOARD USER’S GUIDE
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page iii
Table of Contents
Preface ........................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction............................................................................................................ 1
Document Layout .................................................................................................. 1
Conventions Used in this Guide ............................................................................ 2
Recommended Reading........................................................................................ 3
The Microchip Web Site ........................................................................................ 4
Customer Support ................................................................................................. 4
Document Revision History ................................................................................... 4
Chapter 1. Product Overview
1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Kit Contents .................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board ......................................................... 5
1.4 Associated Tools ............................................................................................ 7
1.5 Assembly Code Modules ................................................................................ 8
Chapter 2. Setup and Installation
2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Required Tools ............................................................................................... 9
2.3 Setting up the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board ................................. 9
2.4 Connecting to Alternate Tools ...................................................................... 11
Chapter 3. Operation
3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 13
3.2 Configuring the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board ............................. 13
3.3 Using the Humidity Sensor PC Program ...................................................... 13
3.4 Humidity Sensor Calibration ......................................................................... 15
Chapter 4. Modified Circuit
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 17
4.2 The “Reduced Current” Circuit ..................................................................... 17

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page iv ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
Appendix A. Schematic and Layouts
A.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 19
A.2 Highlights ..................................................................................................... 19
A.3 Demonstration Board Description ................................................................ 19
A.4 The “Reduced Current” Modification ............................................................ 20
A.5 Additional Comments ................................................................................... 20
Appendix B. Bill Of Materials (BOM)
B.1 Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board BOM ............................................. 25
B.2 BOM for Humidity Sensor and Other Capacitors in Box .............................. 26
B.3 BOM for “Reduced Current” Modifications ................................................... 26
Worldwide Sales and Service .....................................................................................28

HUMIDITY SENSOR PICTAIL™
DEMO BOARD USER’S GUIDE
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page 1
Preface
INTRODUCTION
This chapter contains general information that will be useful to know before using the
Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board. Items discussed in this chapter include:
• Document Layout
• Conventions Used in this Guide
• Recommended Reading
• The Microchip Web Site
• Customer Support
• Document Revision History
DOCUMENT LAYOUT
This document describes how to use the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board as a
development tool to emulate and debug firmware on a target board. The manual layout
is as follows:
•Chapter 1. “Product Overview” – This is an introduction to the Humidity Sensor
PICtail™ Demo Board. It covers the kit contents, associated tools and how they
work together.
•Chapter 2. “Setup and Installation” – Covers the initial set-up of the Humidity
Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board. It lists the required tools, shows how to connect
this board and demonstates how to verify the set-up.
•Chapter 3. “Operation” – This chapter discusses using the humidity sensor on
the PCB and using the software PC Application.
• Chapter 4. “Modified Circuit” – Gives the modifications necessary to increase
measurement resolution by a factor of 100 (see AN1016 for details)
•Appendix A. “Schematic and Layouts” – Gives detailed information on the
Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board. Includes detailed circuit explanation,
schematic and board layouts.
•Appendix B. “Bill Of Materials (BOM)” – Gives detailed information on the
Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board’s firmware.
NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS
All documentation becomes dated, and this manual is no exception. Microchip tools and
documentation are constantly evolving to meet customer needs, so some actual dialogs
and/or tool descriptions may differ from those in this document. Please refer to our web site
(www.microchip.com) to obtain the latest documentation available.
Documents are identified with a “DS” number. This number is located on the bottom of each
page, in front of the page number. The numbering convention for the DS number is
“DSXXXXXA”, where “XXXXX” is the document number and “A” is the revision level of the
document.

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page 2 ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS GUIDE
This manual uses the following documentation conventions:
DOCUMENTATION CONVENTIONS
Description Represents Examples
Arial font:
Italic characters Referenced books MPLAB®IDE User’s Guide
Emphasized text ...is the only compiler...
Initial caps A window the Output window
A dialog the Settings dialog
A menu selection select Enable Programmer
Quotes A field name in a window or
dialog
“Save project before build”
Underlined, italic text with
right angle bracket
A menu path File>Save
Bold characters A dialog button Click OK
A tab Click the Power tab
N‘Rnnnn A number in verilog format,
where N is the total number of
digits, R is the radix and n is a
digit.
4‘b0010, 2‘hF1
Text in angle brackets < > A key on the keyboard Press <Enter>, <F1>
Courier New font:
Plain Courier New Sample source code #define START
Filenames autoexec.bat
File paths c:\mcc18\h
Keywords _asm, _endasm, static
Command-line options -Opa+, -Opa-
Bit values 0, 1
Constants 0xFF, ‘A’
Italic Courier New A variable argument file.o, where file can be
any valid filename
Square brackets [ ] Optional arguments mcc18 [options] file
[options]
Curly brackets and pipe
character: { | }
Choice of mutually exclusive
arguments; an OR selection
errorlevel {0|1}
Ellipses... Replaces repeated text var_name [,
var_name...]
Represents code supplied by
user
void main (void)
{ ...
}

Preface
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page 3
RECOMMENDED READING
This user's guide describes how to use Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board. Other
useful documents are listed below and are recommended as supplemental reference
resources.
PICkit™ 2 Microcontroller Programmer User’s Guide (DS51553)
Contains instructions on how to use the PICkit 2 Microcontroller Programmer hardware
and software.
PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit User’s Guide (DS40051)
Contains instructions on how to use the PICkit 1 Flash Starter Kit hardware and
software.
MPLAB®ICD 2 In-Circuit Debugger User’s Guide (DS51331)
This user’s guide covers Microchip’s low cost, real-time debugger and programmer for
selected PICmicro®Microcontrollers (MCUs) and dsPIC®Digital Signal Controllers
(DSCs).
AN1016, “Detecting Small Capacitive Sensors Using the MCP6291 and
PIC16F690 Devices” (DS01016)
Explains the functionality and design of this board’s circuit. Contains measurement
results.
MCP6291/2/3/4/5 Data Sheet (DS21812)
Gives detailed information on the MCP6291/2/3/4/5 Op Amps.
PIC16F685/687/689/690 Data Sheet (DS41262)
Gives detailed information on the microcontroller used on the Humidity Sensor PICtail™
Demo Board.
PIC16C745/765 Data Sheet (DS41124)
Gives detailed information on the PICmicro microcontroller used on the PICkit 1 Flash
Starter Kit.
The following document is available on the internet from the company listed, and is
recommended as a supplemental reference resource.
Humirel, “Relative Humidity Sensor HS1100LF / HS1101LF,” Data Sheet, Rev. C,
Sept. 2004.
Gives detailed information on Humirel’s (www.humirel.com) HS1101LF capacitive
relative humidity sensor.

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page 4 ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
THE MICROCHIP WEB SITE
Microchip provides online support via our web site at www.microchip.com. This web
site is used as a means to make files and information easily available to customers.
Accessible by using your favorite Internet browser, the web site contains the following
information:
•Product Support – Data sheets and errata, application notes and sample
programs, design resources, user’s guides and hardware support documents,
latest software releases and archived software
•General Technical Support – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), technical
support requests, online discussion groups, Microchip consultant program
member listing
•Business of Microchip – Product selector and ordering guides, latest Microchip
press releases, listing of seminars and events, listings of Microchip sales offices,
distributors and factory representatives
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Users of Microchip products can receive assistance through several channels:
• Distributor or Representative
• Local Sales Office
• Field Application Engineer (FAE)
• Technical Support
• Development Systems Information Line
Customers should contact their distributor, representative or field application engineer
(FAE) for support. Local sales offices are also available to help customers. A listing of
sales offices and locations is included in the back of this document.
Technical support is available through the web site at: http://support.microchip.com
DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY
Revision A (December 2005)
• Initial Release of this Document.

HUMIDITY SENSOR PICTAIL™
DEMO BOARD USER’S GUIDE
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page 5
Chapter 1. Product Overview
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) discussed in this user’s guide is described as follows:
This board supports the capacitive humidity sensor application note AN1016. It
measures the capacitance of a relative humidity sensor (or capacitor) plugged into the
board. The on-board microcontroller sends the measured and calculated data to a PC
(Personal Computer) for display.
Items discussed in this chapter include:
• Kit Contents
• Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board
• Associated Tools
• Initial Set-up
1.2 KIT CONTENTS
• Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board – This is an assembled and tested
Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
• CD-ROM – Provided separately in the shipping box; it contains the files and
literature mentioned in this user’s guide.
• Humidity Sensor (HS1101LF) – Provided separately in the shipping box.
• Bag of Capacitors – Provided separately in the shipping box. These capacitors
are provided for the user’s convenience; they make it easy to try out this board’s
functionality, and to verify its accuracy.
1.3 HUMIDITY SENSOR PICTAIL™ DEMO BOARD
The circuit operation is detailed in AN1016, “Detecting Small Capacitive Sensors Using
the MCP6291 and PIC16F690 Devices” (DS01016)
The Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board contains the circuitry represented in
Figure 1-1. The ambient relative humidity changes the capacitance of the humidity
sensor (HS1101LF from Humirel). This sensor is connected to a MCP6291 op amp and
a resistor to form an inverting (Miller) integrator. The PIC16F690 microcontroller sends
a square wave to the input of the integrator, which the integrator converts to a triangle
wave at its output. The firmware controls the magnitude of the triangle wave and
measures the integration time. The microcontroller measures the time it takes for the
triangle wave to rise and fall. These times are converted to a capacitance value.
A 14-pin header is provided for connecting to the PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit, which
acts like a docking station. It includes a two-wire serial bus that transfers the data, and
two more wires for board power (+5V and GND inputs). This interface also supports
programming of the on-board PIC16F690.
• Order Number: PIC16F690DM-PCTLHS
• Assembly Number: 102-00084R1
•BoardName: Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page 6 ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
The +5V single supply voltage from the PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit board is bypassed
with two bulk 1 μF capacitors near the header, and two local 0.1 μF capacitors (one for
each Integrated Circuit (IC)).
A 6-pin header for ICSP™ (In-Circuit Serial Programming™) is available as an alternate
interface for programming the on-board PIC16F690. This allows the user to modify the
program that comes with the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board (with the MPLAB®
ICD 2 or PICkit™ 2 microcontroller programmer).
FIGURE 1-1: Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board Block Diagram.
The test points make it easier to test key points in the circuit using common lab
equipment. The test points are:
• GND – Is connected to ground plane, and is for any lab equipment
• +5V – Positive supply voltage (at board edge); it provides a means to power this
board with a laboratory power supply (when not connected to the PICkit™ 1 Flash
Starter Kit)
•V
INT – Integrator’s input (a square wave during measurements)
•V
CM – Op amp’s common mode voltage (at its inverting input)
•V
SEN – Integrator’s output of the integrator (a triangle wave during
measurements)
More details on the circuit and on its design can be found in Appendix A. “Schematic
and Layouts” and AN1016, “Detecting Small Capacitive Sensors Using the MCP6291
and PIC16F690 Devices” (DS01016).
GND
+5V
2
Ambient
Vint
Humidity
Op Amp
MCP6291
Microcontroller
PIC16F690
Humidity Sensor
PICtail™ Demo Board
Vcm
+5V
Vsen
Humidity
Test Poin ts
Sensor
GND
10
N.C.
ICSP™
to
PICkit™ 1 Flash
Starter Kit
6

Product Overview
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page 7
1.4 ASSOCIATED TOOLS
Figure 1-2 shows the block diagram of the hardware and software tools that the
Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board is designed to work with. More information on
these tools can be found in the “Recommended Reading” section.
FIGURE 1-2: Measurement Set-up Block Diagram.
1.4.1 Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board
This board is described in Section 1.3 “Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board”.
1.4.2 Firmware for the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board
00084R1.hex is the firmware file that supports the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo
Board application. It implements the measurement routines and the data
communications with the PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit.
1.4.3 ICSP™ Header
The ICSP header provides a means to program the PIC16F690. It is intended for
connection to devices that program the on board PIC16F690, such as the MPLAB®
ICD 2 (DV164005) and the PICkit™ 2 Microcontroller Programmer (DV164120).
1.4.4 PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit
The PICkit 1 Flash Starter Kit (DV164101) programs PICmicro®microcontrollers. It is
used to program the PIC16F690, and provides a communications link with the PC. The
PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit’s PIC16C745 has a USB port that communicates with the
Humidity Sensor PC Program. It also connects to the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo
Board (the on-board PIC16F690) via a header (see Figure 2-1).
This board provides a single +5V supply voltage for the daughter board. It can drive up
to 5 μF on the supply; a larger capacitance may interfere with program timing.
1.4.5 PICkit™ 1 Firmware
This software resides on the PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit’s PIC16C745 microcontroller.
Use version 2.0.2 or later.
PC
USB
Humidity Sensor
PICtail™ Demo Board
PICkit™ 1
Flash Starter Kit
14
Capacitance.exe
PC Program
PICkit™ 1
Firmware
00084R1.hex
Firmware
Hardware Software
6
ICSP™

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page 8 ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
1.4.6 PC Platform
The Personal Computer (PC) shown in Figure 1-2 needs to run on Windows®98 SE or
later. It provides a convenient interface for the user, communicates with the other
boards and provides power through the USB connection.
1.4.7 Humidity Sensor PC Program
The capacitance.exe PC Program communicates with the PIC16F690 MCU on the
Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board through the USB port on the PICkit™ 1 Flash
Starter Kit. It also imports data through the same connections and displays them.
The user inputs the board configuration, and can select to view either capacitance or
relative humidity (assuming the HS1101LF sensor is plugged in).
1.5 ASSEMBLY CODE MODULES
The following assembly code modules (for the PIC16F690) make up the Humidity
Sensor project:
•main.inc - contains I/O port and global defines used throughout the project
•main.asm - contains the main executive routine including configuration bit
assignments
•initialize_f690.asm - initializes the PIC16F690 to known initial values
•capacitance.asm - reads capacitance using a dual slope integration technique
•humidity.inc - contains PwLI table segment values
•humidity.asm - contains PwLI routine to convert capacitance to %RH humidity
•ssc.asm - contains Synchronous Serial Communications (SSC), which is a
synchronous serial communications protocol between a target PICmicro®micro-
controller (MCU) and the PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit or PICkit™ 2 Starter Kit
•16f690.lkr - linker script for Humidity Sensor project
These files can be downloaded from the Microchip web site (www.microchip.com) and
are contained in the “00084R1.zip” file.

HUMIDITY SENSOR PICTAIL™
DEMO BOARD USER’S GUIDE
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page 9
Chapter 2. Setup and Installation
2.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter shows how to set up the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board. Items
discussed in this chapter include:
• Required Tools
• Connecting the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board
• Set-up Verification
2.2 REQUIRED TOOLS
The PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit User’s Guide explains how to set up the PC and the
PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit. Use firmware version 2.0.2 or later.
The PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit CD-ROM (DS40049) contains many of the necessary
files.
The capacitance.exe PC program comes with the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo
Board CD-ROM (Version v1.07.01 or later).
2.3 SETTING UP THE HUMIDITY SENSOR PICTAIL™ DEMO BOARD
This section discusses the primary method for setting up the Humidity Sensor PICtail™
Demo Board. An exploded view of how the different boards connect is shown in
Figure 2-1.
FIGURE 2-1: Board Connections for PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit.
PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit
USB Cable
Expansion
Header (J3)
ICSP™ Header
Remove PICmicro®MCU
Evaluation Socket
PIC16C745 Firmware
Version 2.0.2 or later
To PC
Humidity Sensor
PICtail™ Demo Board

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page 10 ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
2.3.1 PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit
1. Remove any PICmicro microcontroller that may be in the Evaluation Socket.
2. Connect the USB cable to the PC and to the PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit board.
The status LEDs (green POWER and yellow BUSY in the LED array) should light
up.
It is easiest to use this board when it lays directly on a bench top.
2.3.2 Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board
1. Setup Board (first time only); connect shunt to jumper JP1 at the 0.1 pF / position
(0.1 pF / count).
2. Plug this board into the PICkit 1 Flash Starter Kit’s expansion header J3 (as
shown in Figure 2-1) without covering the LED array. There should be no change
in the status LEDs on the PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit board after it is plugged in.
The PIC16F690 comes with the 00084R1.hex file already programmed.
2.3.3 Humidity Sensor PC Program
1. Run the installer program, AN1016 install.exe (which places the executable
file capacitance.exe in the desired directory).
2. Run the capacitance.exe PC Program to start the Graphical User Interface
(GUI).
2.3.4 Set-up Verification
1. Check Basic Functionality.
a) Place one of the capacitors that came in the shipping box (nominal values of
10 pF, 180 pF, 1.0 nF and 100 nF) into the Csen socket.
b) Follow the steps 1.a. through 1.g. in Section 3.3 “Using the Humidity
Sensor PC Program”.
c) The reading should be within ±5% (for 10 pF, 180 pF, and 1.0 nF capacitors),
or ±10% (for the 100 nF capacitor only), of the nominal value.
2. Check HS1101LF Sensor.
a) Place the HS1101LF sensor into the Csen socket.
b) Follow the steps 2.a. through 2.f. in Section 3.3 “Using the Humidity
Sensor PC Program”.
c) The reading should be similar to that of a calibrated relative humidity sensor
placed nearby.

Setup and Installation
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page 11
2.4 CONNECTING TO ALTERNATE TOOLS
2.4.1 PICkit™ 2 Microcontroller Programmer
An exploded view of how the PICkit™ 2 microcontroller programmer connects to the
Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board is shown in Figure 2-2. This setup is an
alternative way to reprogram the PIC16F690 on the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo
Board.
FIGURE 2-2: Board Connections for PICkit™ 2 Microcontroller Programmer.
2.4.2 MPLAB®ICD 2
An exploded view of how the MPLAB®ICD 2 connects to the Humidity Sensor
PICtail™ Demo Board is shown in Figure 2-3. This setup is an alternative way to
reprogram the PIC16F690 on the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board.
FIGURE 2-3: Board Connections for MPLAB®ICD 2.
Humidity Sensor
PICkit™ 2 Microcontroller Programmer
USB Cable
PICtail™ Demo Board
To PC
ICSP™ Header (P2)
Humidity Sensor
MPLAB®ICD 2
USB Cable
PICtail™ Demo Board
To PC
ICSP™ Header (P2)
Modular-to-6-Pin Header Adaptor
Modular Connector Cable

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page 12 ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
NOTES:

HUMIDITY SENSOR PICTAIL™
DEMO BOARD USER’S GUIDE
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page 13
Chapter 3. Operation
3.1 INTRODUCTION
This demonstration board makes it easy to explore the operation of a humidity sensor
application. Items discussed in this chapter include:
• Configuring the Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board
• Using the Humidity Sensor PC Program
• Programming the PIC16F690
• Humidity Sensor Calibration
3.2 CONFIGURING THE HUMIDITY SENSOR PICTAIL™ DEMO BOARD
1. Setup the board as explained in Chapter 2. “Setup and Installation”.
2. Place a humidity sensor or capacitor in the CSEN socket.
a) Humirel’s HS1101LF capacitive humidity sensor.
b) A capacitor of known value.
3. Connect the shunt to jumpers JP1 – JP3 according to the measurement
resolution and capacitance values desired; see Table 3-1.
4. Allow sufficient time for the humidity sensor to respond to changes in the
environment (about 30 seconds for the HS1101LF).
TABLE 3-1: JUMPER SELECTION – MODIFIED CIRCUIT
3.3 USING THE HUMIDITY SENSOR PC PROGRAM
The capacitance.exe PC Program Graphical User Interface (GUI) is displayed in
Figure 3-1. It is a simple program that helps the user to control the functionality of the
Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board and to view the results sent back from that
board.
Jumper
Selected
Measurement
Resolution
(pF / count)
CSEN Range RINT
(Ω)Comments
JP1 0.1 0.6 pF to 6.5 nF 6.65 M Use for HS1101LF sensor
JP2 1 6 pF to 65 nF 665 k
JP3 10 60pFto650nF 66.5k
Note: This program is intended as an evaluation tool; it does not check for all
possible errors. It is the user’s responsibility to make sure the GUI and
demo board are used under reasonable conditions.

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page 14 ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
FIGURE 3-1: “Humidity Sensor PC Program” GUI.
The following steps will help familiarize the user with this GUI. The step numbers are
displayed in Figure 3-1.
1. Measure Capacitance (CSEN).
a) Put capacitor in CSEN’s socket on the board.
b) Select desired resolution on the board (set by shunt and JP1 – JP3).
c) Input the resolution.
d) Click on the READ CAPACITANCE button.
e) The green light turns on and the status window is updated.
f) Read the current capacitance value (which is updated about once a second).
g) Click on the STOP READING button.
2. Measure Humidity (RH).
a) Put the HS1101LF sensor in CSEN’s socket on the board.
b) Select the 0.1 pF / count resolution on the board (put shunt across JP1).
c) Click on the READ HUMIDITY button (a resolution of 0.1 pF / count is assumed
by the GUI).
d) The green lights turn on and the status window is updated.
e) Read the current capacitance value and relative humidity (which are updated
about once a second).
f) Click on the STOP READING button.
3. Check Program Status.
a) Read the status history in the status window.
b) Click the CLEAR STATUS WINDOW button to clear the status history.
c) Click the FIRMWARE VERSION button to see the version displayed in the status
window.
4. Quit the Program.
a) Click the FILE button, then the EXIT button that pops up. Or click on the
WINDOWS’ EXIT button.
1.c. 2.d.2.e.
1.g.
1.e.1.f.
2.f.
1.d.
3.b.
4.a.
2.c.
3.c.
1.e.
2.d.
2.d.2.e.
3.a.
4.b.

Operation
©2005 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51594A-page 15
3.4 HUMIDITY SENSOR CALIBRATION
If desired, the capacitive humidity sensor used on this board can be calibrated. Manu-
facturing tolerances, aging and changes in circuit operating conditions (i.e., supply
voltage and temperature) may cause errors larger than desired. Many reputable
companies provide humidity calibration equipment and/or services.
There are two common approaches to calibrating these sensors:
1. Put sensor in an atmosphere with well controlled RH.
2. Use another, more accurate sensor to measure the RH.
In both cases, there are two areas of concern. First, the RH can change rapidly across
time and position, making an accurate calibration difficult to do. Second, it takes time
for humidity sensors to settle to an accurate value. Some can take many minutes to
settle properly.

Humidity Sensor PICtail™ Demo Board User’s Guide
DS51594A-page 16 ©2005 Microchip Technology Inc.
NOTES: