Advantages of Touch Key Technology
- Superior Water Resistance and Noise Immunity: Ensures stable and reliable operation even in humid environments or those with electromagnetic noise. For example, the M256 and M258 series capacitive touch keys can withstand a 2mm deep water droplet and pass the CS 10V dynamic test.
- High Sensitivity and Accuracy: Ensures users can efficiently manage multiple devices, providing a smooth user experience.
- Multi-Channel Compatibility: NuMicro® microcontrollers offer multi-channel touch key compatibility. For example, the M2L31 series supports 16 touch channels, the M258 series up to 24 touch channels, and the ML56 series up to 14 touch keys.
- Low Power Design: Supports touch wake-up functionality, which can activate the MCU via the touch keys, effectively reducing system power consumption and extending battery life.
- Wide range of applications: Touch key technology is not only suitable for home appliance products such as smart thermostats, washing machines and microwave ovens, but also for industrial control, medical equipment, battery management systems, PC accessories and smart toys.
Features of NuMicro Microcontroller-Based Touch Keys
- M2L31 Series:
Supports up to 16 touch keys with programmable sensitivity levels.
Features non-volatile ReRAM memory and low power consumption of 66 μA/MHz in run mode.
Equipped with CAN FD and Type-C PD functions.
- M254/M256/M258 Series:
Integrated 8 COM x 44 SEG (352) LCD controller and up to 24 capacitive touch keys with water and noise resistance capabilities.
The M258 series includes a glassless USB FS device compatible with BC 1.2 for convenient fast charging.
The M258 series has a normal mode power consumption of less than 110 μA/MHz and a deep shutdown mode power consumption of less than 1.6 μA.
- ML56 Series:
o Incorporates an 8 COM x 28 SEG LCD controller and up to 14 capacitive touch keys, passing the CS 10V dynamic test.
o Includes a 12-bit ADC and PWM functions, suitable for various applications.
o The touch keys in this series can serve as a wake-up source to interrupt the MCU.
- Touch Wake-up Function: Some NuMicro® microcontrollers support the touch wake-up function, allowing the MCU to be woken up by the touch keys, effectively reducing power consumption.
- LCD Charge Pump: The LCD controllers of NuMicro® microcontrollers support a charge pump mode, maintaining LCD clarity even when the battery level is low. This patented technology ensures the LCD remains clear even when the battery charge is insufficient.
Comprehensive Development Tools and Support:
Nuvoton provides comprehensive development tools and resources to help engineers develop touch key applications.
- NuSenadj GUI Tool: Used for the development and calibration of touch key systems, allowing adjustment of touch system parameters, calibration of touch systems, and confirmation of touch key performance.
- TouchView Development Tool: Provides functions for adjusting touch key parameters, calibration, performance confirmation, and parameter export.
- LCDView Development Tool: Used for LCD screen development.
- Sample Code and Touch Key Libraries: Provides application programming interfaces (APIs) for generating touch key calibration data and checking its status, reducing application complexity.
- Development Platforms: Includes NuEclipse IDE, Keil MDK, and IAR EWARM.
- Online Resources: Provides documentation, datasheets, sample code, and development videos.
- Development Boards and Debugging Tools: Offers a variety of evaluation boards, debuggers, and programmers for convenient development.
- Code generation toolkit: Helps generate code quickly.
Examples of applications
NuMicro® microcontrollers with touch key functions are widely used in various products.
- Smart home appliances: Such as smart thermostats, washing machines, microwave ovens, refrigerators, smart toilets, and others, providing convenient human-machine interfaces.
- Industrial control: Used in industrial instruments, human-machine interfaces (HMIs), and other applications, ensuring operational accuracy.
- Wearable devices: Touch keys can be used to control function menus and adjust parameters on handheld measuring instruments, electronic scales, GPS trackers, etc.
- Smart home: Such as smart locks, smart lighting controls, smart irrigation controllers, etc., providing convenient and fast operating experiences.
- Medical equipment: Such as pulse oximeters.
