A method for determining electric parameters of multibody configurations

A method for solving the two-body, ground-plane problem is described. The method yields the capacitances in the system, which are calculated by iteration using the method of electrostatic images. Although the result is rendered in the form of an infinite series, a low number of terms is sufficient to produce reasonably accurate results for the system's capacitance. The minimum surface-to-surface separation of the bodies controls the number of terms required and, hence, the computation time needed for achieving a desired accuracy. The size of the spheres is not especially important; the decisive factor is the separation between bodies. The calculated results agree within 10% with measurements of systems consisting of two bodies and a ground plane and are qualitatively comparable to those obtained for a somewhat similar three-body system. The method can be used in calculations of susceptibility to ESD of electrical and electronic systems.< >