2.
Overview
2.1
Introduction
The QT113B (QT113B) charge-transfer (QT™) touch sensor is a self-contained digital IC capable of detecting near-
proximity or touch. It will project a proximity sense field through air, and any dielectric like glass, plastic, stone,
ceramic, and most kinds of wood. It can also turn small metal-bearing objects into intrinsic sensors, making them
responsive to proximity or touch. This capability coupled with its ability to self calibrate continuously can lead to
entirely new product concepts.
It is designed specifically for human interfaces, like control panels, appliances, toys, lighting controls, or anywhere a
mechanical switch or button may be found; it may also be used for some material sensing and control applications
provided that the presence duration of objects does not exceed the recalibration timeout interval.
Power consumption is only 600 mA in most applications. In most cases the power supply need only be minimally
regulated, for example by Zener diodes or an inexpensive 3-terminal regulator. The QT113B requires only a
common inexpensive capacitor in order to function.
The QT113B RISC core employs signal processing techniques pioneered by Atmel. These are specifically designed
to make the device survive real-world challenges, such as stuck sensor conditions and signal drift.
The option-selectable toggle mode permits on/off touch control, for example for light switch replacement. The Atmel-
pioneered HeartBeat signal is also included, allowing a microcontroller to monitor the health of the QT113B
continuously, if desired. By using the charge transfer principle, the IC delivers a level of performance clearly superior
to older technologies in a highly cost-effective package.
The QT113B is a drop-in replacement for the QT113. The only circuit change required might be the use of a smaller
value CS capacitor. A reduction by a factor of 2 is often required, but some experimentation is necessary to ascertain
the correct value of CS.
Figure 1-1 on page 3 shows a basic circuit using the device.
2.2
Basic Operation
The QT113B employs bursts of charge-transfer cycles to acquire its signal. Burst mode permits power consumption
in the microamp range, dramatically reduces RF emissions, lowers susceptibility to EMI, and yet permits excellent
response time. Internally the signals are digitally processed to reject impulse noise, using a consensus filter which
requires three consecutive confirmations of a detection before the output is activated.
The QT switches and charge measurement hardware functions are all internal to the QT113B (Figure 1-1 on page
3). A 14-bit single-slope switched capacitor ADC includes both the required QT charge and transfer switches in a
configuration that provides direct ADC conversion. The ADC is designed to dynamically optimize the QT burst length
according to the rate of charge buildup on CS, which in turn depends on the values of CS, CX, and Vdd. Vdd is used
as the charge reference voltage. Larger values of CX cause the charge transferred into CS to rise more rapidly,
reducing available resolution; as a minimum resolution is required for proper operation, this can result in dramatically
reduced apparent gain. Conversely, larger values of CS reduce the rise of differential voltage across it, increasing
available resolution by permitting longer QT bursts. The value of CS can thus be increased to allow larger values of
CX to be tolerated (m TFigure 5-1, Figure 5-2, and Figure 5-3 on page 19).
QT113B [DATASHEET]
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