Capable of converting position and direction of movement into electrical signals based on slight changes in the electrostatic capacitance when lightly touched.
Operating principle of electrostatic sensors
The parasitic capacitance of the human body is detected through capacitive coupling between the finger and the sensor electrode.
Capacitive displacement is detected as voltage change.
Erroneous operation due to sensor offset, noise and chattering is cancelled out based on a digital value obtained by converting the voltage using an ADC.
Extracted voltage is corrected and outputted as a sensor value.
Data are passed through the serial interface to the host CPU.
ROHM's Electrostatic Sensor IC
ROHM's electrostatic sensors reduce the load on the host CPU by integrating sensor data processing and application functions into a dedicated IC. Systems can be built with minimal set restrictions using anything from simple touch switches to high precision two-dimensional touch panels.
The sensing circuitry utilizes unique CV conversion circuit technology to avoid the resistance effects of the sensor electrode material
Supports both SPI and I2C serial interfaces (BU21010MUV supports I2C only)
Includes LED illumination functions (fading, PWM control)
Gesture determination function (short press, long press, slide)
All sets involving manipulation are supported
Air conditioners, refrigerators, microwave ovens, electric kettles, dishwashers, washing machines, lighting devices, component systems, theater systems, flat screen digital TVs, HDD recorders, digital video cameras, gaming devices, cordless telephones, fax machines, printers, digital cameras, digital audio players, mobile phones, calculators, notebook PCs, electronic dictionaries, PDAs, car audio, center consoles, panels, and more.