Touch Technology

Touch Technology
An Overview
Touch Technology

Table of Content
 Atmel’s Touch Technology
Division
 Market presence
 Technology Overview
 Changing product design
 Competing Technologies
 Software Library
 Touch screen solutions
 Summary
Touch Technology

Atmel’s Touch Technology Division

Leaders in Founded as
capacitive Quantum
sensing Research
technology Group in 1996

Technology: Located in
charge- Southampton,
transfer UK

Part of Atmel
Substantial
corp since
patent base
March 2008

Flexible Solutions in
Business production for
Models >12 years
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Market success to date

 Mobile handsets
 Shipped in over 50M handsets
 Over 200M buttons rotors and sliders in handsets
 Over 5m touchscreens
 Customers include Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Bird, Sagem and Toshiba.

 Note books
 Shipped over 2 million buttons and sliders
 Buttons and sliders for function keys
 On/Off buttons
 Shipping in models for HP, Dell and Lenovo
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Market Success

 Kitchen Appliances
 Shipping in appliances for over 8 years successfully
 More that 20 design wins in various global manufacturers
 Applications in cooker hobs, cooker hoods (extractors) microwave controls,
refrigerator controls and dishwasher controls.
 Customers include LG Appliances, GE, Whirlpool, Electrolux, Gorenje,
Samsung, Haier

 Consumer Electronics
 Multiple wins in desktop monitors
 Multiple wins in MP3 apps
 Customers include Apple, Philips, Samsung, LG, Bose, Logitech, Neovo,
Asus, Acer
Touch Technology

Technology Overview

QTouch™ QMatrix™ QSlide™ QField™

QWheel™ QTwo™

 For 1 to 10 buttons  Up to 48 keys  Linear touch  Single-touch

 Simple key shapes  Water resistant  Rotary touch screens
 High temperature  3 channels  Multi-touch
 Easy to wire
 screens
High resolution

Functionality also implemented through Atmel Touch Software

Library™ – part of AVR® studio
Touch Technology

QTouch™

 QTouch – simple solution

 1-10 keys
 1.8V operation
 Low power operations
QTouch – Popular in
 UART, SPI and I2C consumer market
 Always stays calibrated
 Patented Adjacent Key Suppression™(AKS™)
 Supports small keypads
 Small footprint – ideal for mobile devices
 Supports clear discrete button touch screens
 Most popular in the consumer market
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QTouch Basics: Goals

Measuring
Measuring
Circuit
Circuit
Electrode

 Detect finger presence near electrode

 Electrode behind a dielectric panel so no direct galvanic
connection to measuring circuit

8
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QTouch Basics: Charge Transfer Basics

Sampling
MCU capacitor

S1
GND
VDD
Cs
Cx
S2 EART
S3 H

GND

 Cs >> Cx
 example (1000:1 ratio)
 Cs = 10nF
 Cx = 10pF
 S1,S2 and S3 are CMOS IO pins
 switching between GND, Z and Vdd

9
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QTouch™: Charge Transfer Basics

 Uses a switched capacitor method
 employing a “sampling” capacitor Cs
 Usually 1000+ times bigger than the sense electrode capacitance Cx
 (normally around 1pF to 10pF)

 The sense electrode is just an “open circuit” pad

 We measure the “self capacitance” of this pad
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QTouch™: Charge Transfer Basics

 Cs is switched using “bit banging”

 A series of voltage pulses cause current to flow in Cs and Cx

 Charge on Cs builds up by each pulse
 Cx is discharged after each pulse

 The voltage over the Capacitor (U = Q/C) builds up as well

 We measure the voltage by checking a digital input

 Like a comparator, comparing vs V IH

 We measure the number of pulses to reach VIH

 When we touch the sensor, the number of pulses will be

decreased
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QTouch Basics: Charge Transfer Basics

MCU

Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs

S2

S3

GND

12
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Step 1: Discharge Cx and Cs

MCU

Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs

S2

S3

GND

13 Create Initial condition: Takes time

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Step 2: Float Cs

MCU

Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs

S2

S3

GND

Prevents cross-conduction between P and N-channel

14 transistors in *some* MCU IO cells
Well designed I/O blocks does this automatically
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Step 3: Charge Transfer

MCU

Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs

S2

S3

GND

Rising edge on SNS pin drives charge through Cs into Cx

15
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Step 4: Float Cs and settling time

MCU

Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs

S2

S3

GND

16
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Step 5: Measure Vcs and discharge Cx

MCU

SNSK = Gnd

Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs

S2

SNS = Vcs
S3

GND

17
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Step 5: Measure Vcs and discharge Cx

MCU

Qx = Cx * Vx
SNSK = Gnd
Vx == 0 ==> Qx == 0
Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs Qs = Cs * Vcs

S2

SNS = Vcs = VDD * (Cx / (Cs + Cx))

S3
Cs = ~ 1000 * Cx
GND
Vcs = VDD / 1000

18
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Repeat 1 - 5:

MCU

Gnd

Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs Qs = Cs * Vcs

S2

Vcs = VDD / 1000 initially

S3
Add approximately 0,999 * VDD * (Cx / (Cs + Cx))
GND

19
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Continuously add charge to Cs

VIH

When Vcs reached VIH, the I/O port will read as ”1”.
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Real Waveform

Vcs

Vdd

Time
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Charging Waveform

Vsnsk
Vdd

Time

Vsns

Vdd

Vih

Time
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Normal mode

 Typically uses ~200 pulses to reach VIH

 Typical burst length = 500 us .. 5 ms
 Long burst lengths mainly for proximity detection

 Run several bursts before declaring detection

 ”Detect integration - DI”
 Similar to debouncing
 DI count normally from 3 upwards, 10 = common

 Hysteresis: detection level changes on detect

Touch Technology

Add a finger => Ct increase

MCU Ct
EARTH

Gnd

Sampling
S1 capacitor Cx
EART
H

GND

VDD Cs Qs = Cs * Vcs

S2

Vcs = VDD / 1000 initially

S3
Add approximately
GND
0,999 * VDD * (Cx//Ct / (Cs + Cx//Ct))

24
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Effect of increasing Ct

 The charge added each pulse will increase.

 Cs will charge faster, than if no finger is present

 VIH is reached faster

 Fewer pulses are needed

 Burst time gets shorter

 Burst change (delta) is proportional to Ct
Touch Technology

Continuously add charge to Cs

VIH

Finger present No finger

When Vcs reached VIH, the I/O port will read as ”1”.
Touch Technology

QTouch™: Sensitivity
 Larger key surface area = more sensitivity

 Sampling Capacitor, Cs controls sensitivity

 Increasing Cs = Increased differential sensitivity
 makes the burst length longer
 Improves resolution

 Simple tuning procedure

 Changing a single capacitor value per key
 Can be done without software

 One time tuning for a design

Touch Technology

Technology Overview

QTouch™ QMatrix™ QSlide™ QField™

QWheel™ QTwo™

 For 1 to 10 buttons  Up to 48 keys  Linear touch  Single-touch

 Simple key shapes  Water resistant  Rotary touch screens
 High temperature  3 channels  Multi-touch
 Easy to wire
 screens
High resolution

Functionality also implemented through Atmel Touch Software

Library™ – part of AVR® studio
Touch Technology

QMatrix™

• UART, SPI and I2C

• Efficient X-Y interleaved electrodes
• Support up to 48keys
• Low power operations
• 1.8V operation
• Always stays calibrated
• Available in small packages (up to 24 Keys)
• Patented Adjacent Key Suppression™(AKS™) for small keypads
• Low power and small footprint – ideal for mobile devices
• Supports clear discrete button touch screens
• Most popular in the consumer market
QMatrix - Popular in
appliance market and
mobile market
Touch Technology

Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Self Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance

…
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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Mutual Capacitance
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QMatrix™: Charge Transfer Basics

 Also uses a switched capacitor method

 employing a “sampling” capacitor Cs that is usually 1000+ times bigger than
the sensor capacitance Cx (normally around 1pF to 5pF)

 The sensor in this case is formed at the

 “intersection” of two electrodes, X (transmitter) and Y (receiver).
 In other words QMatrix measures the *mutual* transverse
(usually) coupling capacitance between X and Y

 X and Y
 Fixed number of voltage pulses
 Each pulse cause current to flow in Cx and Cs (in series with each other)
 Current only flows in selected pairs or Cx and Cs.
 This is how a sequential matrix scan is achieved

 The voltage on Cs builds up pulse-by-pulse and after the fixed

number of pulses is done, the voltage on Cs is measured to give
us our reading
Touch Technology

QMatrix™: Charge Transfer Basics

X0

MCU
VDD X1

S2 X
X2
S4
GND
Yk Cx X3

S1
GND
Cs Y0

Y1
S3
Y Sampling
GND capacitor

Vsns

|Vcs|

Approximately linear

Time 0.25V

-0.25V Time

Terminal voltage Vyk

Touch Technology

QMatrix™ : Measuring Technique

We can use Atmel AVRs e.g. Tiny44/84/88, Mega48/88/168 (including
PicoPower), Mega164P/324P for QMatrix because they have the
required internal comparator + counter/capture registers

MCU
VDD

CTR CLK
S2 X
S4 Vcs
GND
+
Yk Cx
CAPTURE
-
S1
GND
VDD Cs Time
S5
Rsmp
S Y
S3
6 GND
GND

SMP
Touch Technology

QMatrix™ Basics: What Happens During

Touch ?:
 Now we bring a finger close to electrode
 This diverts charge from Cx, and so
away from Cs
E-field
 So each charge pulse now charges Cs
Ct
by a smaller amount
X Y EARTH
Vcs
 This means charge builds up in Cs less
No
quickly
touch
Time  So if each pulse deposits less charge,
then Vcs rises slower, so
 reaches a smaller terminal voltage
Vcs
 needs less time to discharge to GND
Touch  so counter value gets less
Time
 count change (delta) is proportional to Ct

Delta
Touch Technology

QMatrix™: Sensitivity

 Optimise key designs for improved sensitivity

and SNR

 Increasing Burst Length (number of charge

pulses), increases sensitivity
 Software based tuning
 Does not require component changes

 Increasing Rsmp, increases signal resolution

 One time tuning for a design

Touch Technology

Atmel’s Charge Transfer Technology

Best in class solutions:

 Excellent signal-to-noise ratio
 Excellent field penetration
 Spread spectrum modulation
 Failure mode detection
 Best in class EMC characteristic

Ease of design:
 Highly integrated solutions
 Reference designs

Flexible: QMatrix™ charge transfer principle

 Standard or custom products
 User developed solutions

Cost effective
Touch Technology

Technology Overview

QTouch™ QMatrix™ QSlide™ QField™

QWheel™ QTwo™

 For 1 to 10 buttons  Up to 48 keys  Linear touch  Single-touch

 Simple key shapes  Water resistant  Rotary touch screens
 High temperature  3 channels  Multi-touch
 Easy to wire
 screens
High resolution

Functionality also implemented through Atmel Touch Software

Library™ – part of AVR® studio
Touch Technology

QSlide™ & QWheel™ - Easy scrolling

 Usable over LCD display
 iPod-type functionality
 Low voltage, low power
 Slider/Wheel available in
QTouch devices: QT1106
 Slider available in QMatrix
device: AT42QT2160
 Only three channels used to
make a 256 position absolute
scroller
QSlide/QMatrix - Popular in
personal media devices
Touch Technology

QSlide™ & QWheel™: QTouch™

i) Small ii) Medium/Large

20-25mm long 25-60mm long

i) Small 10-
ii) Medium 12-
12mm dia
16mm dia iii) Large 16-40mm dia
Touch Technology

QSlide™ & QWheel™: QMatrix™

 One Layer Designs X7 X0

X6 X1

X5 X2

X4 X3

X0 X1 X2 X3

Y
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QSlide™ & QWheel™: QMatrix™

 2 Layer Designs -
X5 X0
Flooded X
 Increases design X1
possibilities X4 Y
 Improved directional
noise immunity
X3 X2

X0 X1 X2 X3

Y
Touch Technology

QSlide™ & QWheel™ : Touch Position

T
LE GH
FT RI

C B
S
A B

 Uses geometric calculations in between 2 points

(channels) to determine absolute touch position
Touch Technology

Capacitive sensing - changing product design

 Flexible
 No longer restricted to
using buttons
 Increasing focus on
industrial design
 UI innovation with multi-
touch
 Innovative
 Slimmer products - no
mechanical parts required
 Easy to clean
 Hidden until lit
Touch Technology

Other Markets

 Capsensing is not only for Mobile and

appliances….Atmel have many design wins in
…..
 Medical
 Automotive
 Industrial
 Vending
 Security
 Toys
Touch Technology

Atmel Industry Presence : recent design wins

Mobile and PND Consumer

Laptops
Mobile phones Digital photo frames
Smart phones TVs and Home cinemas
Headsets Stereos and speakers
PNDs MP3 players

Ovens
Refrigerators
Washing machines

Appliance
Touch Technology

Atmel advantages

 Early market entry – long experience

 Addresses many diverse markets
 Robust solution
 Very few competitors are even close
 Competitor analysis data available on request
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Differentiation: Atmel Touch Sensors

 Very high signal to noise ratio
 Makes designs easier from the outset
 Supports small sensors
 OK in noisy environments

 Broad range of key sizes & shapes

 due to size of integration capacitors
 Inherent flexibility of technology

 Key patent for close pitched key arrays

 Adjacent Key Suppression (AKS™)
Touch Technology

QMatrix
 Strong suppression of moisture effects
 Due to X and Y electrode design and touch aquisition
 Remote placement of chip
 Sensitive to X/Y crossing
 Not sensitive to X lines
 Not sensitive to Y lines
Touch Technology

QTouch/QMatrix on AVR
 AVR has plenty of processing power.
 Can complete sensing faster
 Can spend more time in sleep

 Minimal amount of H/W needed

 Chip resource available for other applications

 Lower power consumption

 Broad range of applications with a lower cost chip

Touch Technology

Q-Touch/Q-Matrix libraries

Empowering Atmel AVR users with

Touch Sensor Technology
Touch Technology

Aims of libraries

 Flexible, high performance capacitive sensing firmware

 Well proven capacitive sensing solution

 Support for buttons, sliders and wheels

 Easy to implement

 No license fee

 Can coexist with user application

Touch Technology

Advantages of the Atmel Code Module

 Recognised industry leading Charge Transfer technique

 Best signal to noise ration
 Makes designs fundamentally easier to implement

 Flexible implementation
 arbitrary key sizes & shapes
 no need to balance channels

 All digital technique

 None of the disadvantages of analogue sensing techniques

 Easy implementation using Quantum reference designs

 Access to key Atmel/Quantum patents

 Adjacent Key Suppression
Touch Technology

Advantages of the Atmel Code Module

 Uses AVR as the hardware platform

 AVR32, Cortex-M3 to follow

 Industry leading microcontroller price / performance

 Lowest power consumption

 Broad product range can be developed & implemented

 Fully flexible user implementation

Touch Technology

Advantages of the Atmel Code Module

 Simple, easy to implement code library
 Robust front end capacitive acquisition

 Highly experienced Quantum Atmel team

 Applications / implementation support

 Low cost solution

 No license cost

 Support provided by the Atmel FAE’s

Touch Technology

Code Module Availability

 Code modules will be available in two basic versions

 QTouch module – recommended as first approach
- High sensitivity
- High system noise tolerant
- Easy design
 QMatrix module
- Less pins needed for 3+ channels
- More tolerant of moisture and ground loading
- Electrode design needs care
 Support packages available in both cases
 Library module and API
 GUI front end
 Evaluation module & PC Application Software
 Reference implementation & application note
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Atmel Touch Software Library - Flexible

 Available on standard Atmel

parts using libraries in AVR
studio
 Environmental changes Host Atmel
Touch
App
tracked and compensated Software
Library

 Error conditions detected and

corrected
 Works seamlessly with main
device application
 For volume programs,
application and code Host Atmel
App Touch
Software
development available Library
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Atmel Capacitive Touchscreen

Solutions

Two Touch™ and Single Touch Touchscreens

Roadmap for Touchcreens

January 2009
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Projected Capacitive Touch Screens

 Sensors realised with patterned conductors
 Usually realised using ITO/PET or ITO/Glass
 Mostly 2+ layers, Atmel’s solution supports single layer sensors
 Multiple sensing elements
 Sequential sensing
 Advantages
 Excellent signal to noise ratio
 Accuracy across the whole
surface
 Can support multiple touches
 Senses through ‘thick’
dielectric materials
 No user calibration needed

Atmel’s QField™ technology

Touch Technology

Introducing the QT5000 Family

Two Touch™ for the most intuitive user interfaces

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QT5000 Family Unique Value

The QT5320 and the QT5480 are single chip Two

Touch™ touchscreen controllers supporting
single and two finger touch

 Currently up to 48 channels (8X x 6Y)

 Supports Single Touch and Dual
Touch
 Many common touch gestures
integrated
 Standard touchscreen reference
designs available
 Highly user configurable interface
 Small 5mm x 5mm BGA package
 Low power, low voltage
Touch Technology

Introducing the QT4000 Family

Touchscreen solution with single layer sensors for

the thinnest possible implementation
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QT4000 Family Unique Value

The QT4120 and the QT4160 are single chip

touchscreen controllers enabling single layer
sensor designs

 Currently up to 16 channels (4X x 4Y)

 Supports Single Touch with Single
layer sensors
 Many common gestures integrated
 Reference designs standard
screen sizes
 Small 5mm x 5mm QFN package
 Low power, low voltage
Touch Technology

Components and Supply Chain

 Atmel provides
 Touch controller IC
 Controller board reference design
 Sensor reference design
 Integration support
 Sensor test equipment design

 Atmel Partners provide

 Tested and qualified sensor film
 Integration of sensor and front panel
 Production controller board

Note: Solution with integrated sensor,

front panel and LCD can delivered
Touch Technology

Target
Applications
Touch Technology

User Interface in Mobile Phones

 Touchscreen mode
 Managing the address book
 Managing the photo album
 Fixed keys and sliders
 On/Off keys
 Special function keys
 Volume controls
Touch Technology

User Interface in Media Players

 Touchscreen mode
 Music control
 Photo control
 Zoom and Rotate
 Fixed keys and sliders
 On/Off keys
 Special function keys
 Volume controls
Touch Technology

User Interface in Navigation Systems

 Touchscreen mode
 Controlling the maps
 Zooming in and out
 Fixed keys and sliders
 On/Off keys
 Special function keys
Touch Technology

Other Target Applications

 Digital still cameras

 Digital picture frames
 Appliance control
 Gaming devices
 PDAs
 Displays
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Easy System Designs

Touchscreens, sliders, wheels and/or keys,

selectable by the host via the I2C compatible interface
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Appendix

Atmel’s Portfolio of Touch Sense Products

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QTouch™ - Key std. Products

Devices for 1 to 10 keys and/or sliders/wheels
Part Channels Package Temp. (OC) Eval.Board

QT100A 1 WSON-6 -40 to +85 E100S

QT220 2 SSOP-20 -40 to +85 E240B
QT240 4 SSOP-20 -40 to +85 E240B
QT1080 8 QFN-32 -40 to+85 E1080
QT1101 10 QFN-32 -40 to +85
QT1081 8 QFN-32 -40 to +85 E1081
QT1103 10 QFN-32 -40 to +85 E1103
QT1106 7 + Slider or QFN-32 -40 to +85 E1106
Wheel
AT42QT104 4 QFN-28 -40 to +85 AT42EVK1040
0
AT42QT106 6 QFN-28 -40 to +85 AT42EVK1060
0
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QMatrix™ - Key std. Products

Controlling up to 48 keys and/or sliders/wheels
Part Channels Package Temp. (OC) Eval Board

QT60160 16 QFN-32 -40 to +85 E6240

QT60168 16 TQFP-32 -40 to +105 E6248
QT60240 24 QFN-32 -40 to +85 E6240
QT60248 24 TQFP-32 -40 to +105 E6248
QT60326 32 TQFP-44 -40 to +105 E6486

QT60486 48 TQFP-44 -40 to +105 E6486

AT42QT2160 16 QFN-28 -40 to +85 AT42EVK2160

1 Slider
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Atmel Touch Library

 AT42EVK2080A – QTouch module with ATmega88 target device
 Hardware module – user can view and evaluate trial implementations of
firmware
 10 x ATMega88 IC’s
 AT42EVK2080B – QMatrix module with ATtiny88 target device
 Hardware module – user can view and evaluate trial implementations of
firmware
 10 x ATMega88 IC’s
 Common to both evaluation modules
 Installation CD for PC configurator software
 Quickstart guide including basic operating / flashing instructions / what
hardware required
 Debug interface allowing rapid visualisation of the pre-processed capacitive
signals for diagnostics
 API document
 Description of interface & how to use
 Reference implementation
 Compile instructions
 Links to useful sources of additional code
 PC debug application for tuning implemented systems
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QField and QTwo Touchscreen Products

Easy to Use Touchscreen Controllers

Part Total Package Touch Screen Eval Board
nodes Size

AT42QT4120 12 (4x3) QFN-32 Single touch 3.2” EVK4120A/B

AT42QT4160 16 (4x4) QFN-32 Single touch 4.3” EVK4160A/B

AT42QT5320 32 (8x4) QFN-32 Single touch 4.3” EVK5480x

/Two touch
AT42QT5480 48 (8x6) BGA-49 QFN- Single touch 8” EVK5480x
44 TQFP-44 /Two touch