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Microchip Technology Extends mTouch Technology to Include Projected Capacitive Touch-Screen Sensing

26th May 2010

ES Admin

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Microchip announces the availability of mTouch Projected Capacitive Touch-Screen Sensing Technology, the first in a series of patent-pending releases supporting projected capacitive touch-screen solutions across the company’s portfolio of 8-, 16- and 32-bit PIC® MCUs. The technology announcement is supported by the release of the mTouch Projected Capacitive Development Kit, featuring the first device to implement the technology; the 8-bit PIC16F707.

Projected capacitive touch sensing extends resistive and existing capacitive touch sensing technology to include multi-touch and gesture sensing, enabling users to implement robust glass-front user interfaces that simplify user interaction. Typical applications include global positioning systems, thermostats, mobile handheld units and other devices that use smaller displays with a finger input. The technology is available via a royalty free source code license from Microchip’s online Touch Sensing Design Center (http://www.microchip.com/get/AX10).

The mTouch Projected Capacitive Development Kit (part No DM160211, $119.99) includes a 3.5” sensor mounted on a sensor board, a projected capacitive board with the PIC16F707 MCU and fully functional firmware. The open source code supports sensors with up to 32 channels and the kit includes a Graphical User Interface tool that enables easy parameter adjustment.

The PIC16F707 features two 16-channel Capacitive Sensing Modules (CSMs) that can run in parallel for increased sampling speed, and operates from a wide input voltage range of 1.8 – 5.5V, with a typical projected capacitive sensor application operating current of 1.5mA at 5V. The PIC16F707 is available in volume today.