Atmel's Touch Controller IC Combines Slider and Button Functions

(Product News, 9 Jul 2008)

Atmel Corp.'s AT42QT2160 touch controller IC combines touch key and touch slider functions in a single device. The AT42QT2160 can control up to 16 individual touch keys with a slider comprising between two and eight of the touch key channels. In addition, the chip can also control up to 11 LEDs through a PWM output function that is controlled by the host, eliminating the need for an external LED controller.

Ideal for use as a multimedia HMI controller in mobile phones and consumer applications, such as personal media players, the device has a wide voltage range of 1.8VDC to 5.5VDC and low power requirements. It uses Quantum Research Group's (acquired by Atmel in March 2008) patented charge-transfer technology, which provides robust and reliable performance, high immunity to EMI through spread-spectrum modulation and filtering algorithms, calibration of the device over life and user-defined sensitivity thresholds for individual keys. An additional patented function, adjacent key suppression (AKS), intelligently suppresses signals present from nearby keys so that only intended keys register a touch.

The AT42QT2160 has three GPIOs with PWM capability and a further eight shared output ports that provide additional standard outputs for the host without adding cost or using an extra I/O expansion device with PWM capability. Host configurability is achieved via a two-wire interface (I2C compatible). To save system power, the chip provides a system Multi-Input Wake-up (MIWU) function. This can trigger a reaction from the host or other system components via the two-wire interface, or using a dedicated output pin, when pre-defined input signals levels are reached.

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