Microchip Expands Capabilities of mTouch Capacitive Touch-Sensing Technology to Enable Capacitive Touch-Sensing With a Metal Front Panel

mTouch capacitive touch-sensing technology enables customers to easily and inexpensively add touch-sensing interfaces, allowing designers to implement Microchip’s royalty-free technology using their existing hardware and software in applications with metal front panels, where liquids are present, and for users wearing thick gloves.

Touch sensing continues to gain traction as an alternative to traditional push-button user interfaces, because it enables a completely sealed, modern-looking design. Major applications for mTouch capacitive touch-sensing user interfaces include those in the appliance market, because of the possibility of a stainless-steel front panel; the industrial market, because of the technology’s robustness; and the automotive market, because of the technology’s sleek aesthetics. Low-power mTouch capacitive touch-sensing technology features an active current of less than 5µA, helping to reduce overall power consumption.