CAPSENSE Button and Slider
Last updated
Last updated
Assoc. Prof. Wiroon Sriborrirux, Founder of Advance Innovation Center (AIC) and Bangsaen Design House (BDH), Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Burapha University
What is Capsense?
Capsense, or capacitive sensing, is a technology that enables touch-sensitive interfaces in devices. At its core, this technology senses the presence of a conductive object (like a human finger) by measuring changes in capacitance. Capacitive sensors can detect anything that is conductive or has a dielectric different than air.
A Capsense button is essentially a touch-sensitive button that can be used in place of a traditional mechanical button. It consists of a conductive sensor pad and the necessary circuitry to measure the change in capacitance when touched.
Here is how it works:
Sensor Configuration: A conductive sensor pad is configured on the device’s surface.
Touch Detection: The sensor pad detects a touch based on the change in capacitance.
Signal Processing: The raw capacitive signal undergoes processing to filter noise and determine the touch’s validity.
Output: A digital signal output is generated which indicates whether the sensor pad is touched or not.
A Capsense slider, on the other hand, allows for more complex touch inputs. It consists of a series of capacitive sensor pads arranged linearly or radially. It can detect not only touch but also the position of the touch along the slider, which is excellent for controlling parameters like volume, brightness, etc.
Here is how it works:
Sensor Configuration: Multiple conductive sensor pads are configured linearly or radially on the device’s surface.
Position Detection: The system detects the position of the touch based on the relative changes in capacitance across the sensor pads.
Signal Processing: Similar to the button, the signal undergoes processing to filter noise and calculate the exact position of the touch.
Output: A digital signal output is generated which indicates the position of the touch on the slider.
The Capsense Tuner is a powerful tool available in the PSoC Creator or ModusToolbox, which aids in the fine-tuning of Capsense designs. It allows designers to monitor the real-time performance of their Capsense elements, such as buttons and sliders, and tweak various parameters to achieve optimal performance.
To sum up, the Capsense technology offers a modern, reliable, and versatile solution to implement touch interfaces in various applications. Through the Capsense button and slider functionalities available in the PSoC6 platform, designers can build intuitive and user-friendly interfaces. The Capsense Tuner further enhances this by allowing for the fine-tuning and optimization of these Capsense interfaces, ensuring a smooth and responsive user experience.
