Capacitance touch breakout board

Development Boards Arduino
1

I am trying to use the capacitance breakout board in a project. I need to use an external electrode. When I first hook up the external electrode, the LED indicating “touch” illuminates immediately. At first I thought it might not be working but I switched to a different part of my project leaving the external electrode connected. Eventually the led went out and the external antenna worked as expected. Disconnet the electrode and reconnect it, and the LED illuminated immediately. It stays illuminated for 60-90sec before it turns off.

How can I get the external electode to work right from the point it is attached?

Also does the breakout have a sensitivity adjustment? I need to detect touch only not just being close. Right now it seems to be extremely sensitive sometimes triggering when the hand it close but not touching.

How does this approach compare to the capacitance sensor discussed on the web that uses a couple of the DIO pins

2

Which one?

3

AT42QT1010

4

The hook up guide linked from the product page as the info.

5

I read through the Quantum Research Application note but that gave me a little too much information. I was able to get waht I needed using the Arduino CapSense library. Just not sure of the compromises with using that approach.

Ian

6

The knowledge Ross hints at is in the center of the hookup guide.

7

That is what I am doing. If I hook up the electrode, the breakout triggers immediately. Then after about 1-2 minutes, the breakout starts acting normally.

8

It talks of a way to change the sensitivity.