Touch technology advances
15 June 2009
Inductive touch technology with low accidental triggering makes it suitable for automotive applications.
A multi-featured companion device for touch-sensitive applications that works with almost any microcontroller was released by Microchip. The MCP2036 Analogue Front End (AFE) for inductive touch-sensing applications complements the company’s royalty-free mTouch Inductive Touch-Sensing solutions, and works with almost any 8-, 16- or 32-bit PIC microcontroller (MCU) or dsPIC Digital Signal Controller (DSC), making it easier and more cost effective for designers to enhance user interfaces with inductive touch-sensing technology.
The inductive-touch AFE includes a multiplexer, a frequency mixer, an amplifier, a driver and a voltage reference; thereby lowering component count, and reducing design size and cost. Inductive touch-sensing fundamental operating principles enable it to work through a range of materials, such as plastic, stainless steel or aluminium, as well as thick gloves and on surfaces where liquids are present. These characteristics make inductive touch sensing suitable for applications in the appliance market, where stainless steel is used for front panels. Its robustness makes inductive touch-sensing suitable for the industrial market, while the ability to create aesthetically appealing designs coupled with a low accidental triggering capability also make it suitable for automotive applications.
Microchip’s inductive-touch technology complements its capacitive touch-sensing products, making it easier and less expensive for engineers to use these features for applications requiring metal finishing and robust operation in wet environments.
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