Evaluation Board Microchip AC103003
The PIC10F mTouch Capacitive Evaluation Board demonstrates the simple implementation of a single capacitive touch key or proximity sensor using a PIC10F204/6 MCU.
Detailed Description
One capacitive touch key can do the following functions:
- An on/off, open/close button or other single action user interface
- A proximity sensor to detect a hand coming close to the sensor
- Enable lower standby power consumption
- Trigger an action, like a lighted display, without a touch Capacitive Touch Implementation
The illustration below shows a simple implementation of a single capacitive touch key.
One key capacitive touch can:
- Be used as a on/off, open/close button or other single action user interface
- Act as a proximity sensor – detecting a hand coming close to the sensor
- Enable lower standby power consumption
- Trigger an action, like lighting up a display, without a touch
The schematic is very simple and uses a PIC10F204/6 MCU, a diode, a capacitor and a resistor (see the white sensing square on the PCB).
Flexibility of the Solution
The MCU can be reprogrammed using the PICkit 2/MPLAB ICD 2 connector.
By having access to the source code, it is very easy to change some values or parameters to meet your applications’ specific needs.
- The sensitivity can easily be adjusted to the sense pad size and cover material
- The power consumption can be lowered by reducing the scan rate, leaving the MCU in Sleep mode as much as possible
- The autocalibration feature can be disabled, or the software can make it faster or slower depending on the application needs
