Product Review
Cypress' capacitive-sensing controller cuts design time
Brian Fuller8/30/2010 6:00 PM EDT
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Cypress Semiconductor today released a new four-button version of its capacitive-sensing controller technology, intended to cut system-design time and expand the market for such applications.
The CY8CMBR2044 CapSense Express Mechanical Button Replacement controller uses a special algorithm that eliminates the need to tune the sensing application during the design process.
Key features:
The Smart Sense auto-tuning feature aims to eliminate weeks from the design process, according to Dirk Franklin, CapSense business unit director for Cypress.
“It can take three weeks to tune the user interface,” Franklin said in an interview. “You have to get boards built and tune it, and it’s usually a few iterations.”
SmartSense, which is patent-pending, features:
Franklin showed off a CapSense Express demo board in an interview with EE Times, below:
Franklin argues that the CapSense Express helps cut the learning curve associated with touch-sense applications and therefore broadens the market potential such that mechanical engineers, for example, might be drawn to the technology.
Pricing: <$1.00 in 1,000-piece quantities.
Availability: Production quantities available now.
More resources:
The CY8CMBR2044 CapSense Express Mechanical Button Replacement controller uses a special algorithm that eliminates the need to tune the sensing application during the design process.
Key features:
- Four-button sensing
- 1.7-5.5V operation
- Supply current in run mode: 15 uA per button
- Deep sleep current:100 nA
- 16-pad QFN package: 3x3x0.6mm.
The Smart Sense auto-tuning feature aims to eliminate weeks from the design process, according to Dirk Franklin, CapSense business unit director for Cypress.
“It can take three weeks to tune the user interface,” Franklin said in an interview. “You have to get boards built and tune it, and it’s usually a few iterations.”
SmartSense, which is patent-pending, features:
- Automatic adjustment for manufacturing variation e.g., PCB, Overlay thickness
- Automatic calibrating out of variations in environmental noise
- Support for up to 33 CapSense I/Os and 6 Sliders
- Patented algorithm for robust immunity to conducted and radiated noise.
Franklin showed off a CapSense Express demo board in an interview with EE Times, below:
Franklin argues that the CapSense Express helps cut the learning curve associated with touch-sense applications and therefore broadens the market potential such that mechanical engineers, for example, might be drawn to the technology.
Pricing: <$1.00 in 1,000-piece quantities.
Availability: Production quantities available now.
More resources:
- Cypress earlier this year hosted an EE Times Webinar on designing capacitive-sensing systems.
- Here’s a link to a Cypress technical white paper on adding in capacitive sensing to a digital handset
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