Apr 12 2010
Semtech, a leading mixed-signal and analog semiconductors vendor, has recently introduced the SX864x platform for the capacitive sensing ICs.
Semtech Lowest Power Capacitive Touch Solution
These ICs incorporate integrated LED drivers and are available in the form of 8- and 12-channel models. These ICs support a broad range of designs for slider, button, and touch wheel types of capacitive sensors. These designs are used increasingly in netbooks/notebooks, white goods, media players, mobile phones, and various consumer electronics goods.
A precise ADC is used to design the capacitive analog interface for all the seven ICs present in the platform. This ADC offers enhanced sensitivity when working with overlay materials that have a thickness of more than 5 mm, thus giving an ESD-immune and sturdy design. These ICs consume minimal current at 80 µA during operation and are well suited for devices that are operated using batteries. Also, eight 256-step LED drivers are integrated by this platform. These drivers are human vision optimized through logarithmic and linear fading control and individual intensity.
The SX864x gadgets are particularly designed keeping in mind the decreased time-to-market aspect for the capacitive touch control systems. The customization of parameters such as slave address, scan time, sensitivity and channel gain thresholds can be performed by users themselves without any need for additional development of firmware. The on-chip calibration algorithm can do away with false triggers caused by environmental factors like dust, temperature, and humidity.
The Product Line Manager of Semtech’s Consumer Analog Products, Sam Massih, informed that the SX864x range integrates the requisite functional blocks for capacitive sensing within a very small footprint and does not need any external component. Massih revealed that these ICs are well-suited for a broad range of applications related to capacitive sensing due to the SX864x platform’s enhanced, integrated features and low power consumption of the ICs.