Wide dynamic range capacitive transducer

A variable area capacitor comprising:

• a. a flexible electrode responsive to a physical effect;
• b. a rigid electrode with a surface contour facing said flexible electrode;
• c. a dielectric spacer sandwiched between said rigid electrode and said flexible electrode that extends at least up to an inflection point of said surface contour;
• d. said dielectric spacer maintains a substantially fixed capacitance spacing between regions of mutually opposed areas of said rigid electrode and said flexible electrode, said regions of said fixed capacitance spacing increasing in extent as said flexible electrode deflects in response to said physical effect.

A variable area capacitor constructed to avoid a saturation-type of nonlinear capacitance response comprising:

• a. a flexible electrode responsive to a physical effect;
• b. a rigid electrode with a surface contour facing said flexible electrode;
• c. a dielectric spacer sandwiched between said rigid electrode and said flexible electrode;
• d. said dielectric spacer maintains a substantially fixed capacitance spacing between regions of mutually opposed areas of said rigid electrode and said flexible electrode, said regions of said fixed capacitance spacing increasing in extent as said flexible electrode deflects in response to said physical effect;
• e. said surface contour having a shape that provides an increase in said regions of said fixed capacitive spacing at least up to an inflection point on said surface contour, whereby said capacitance response of said variable area capacitor is prevented from reaching a level of saturation.