I’ve been having trouble with a project involving 3 SparkFun Redboards and a total of 38 of the AT42QT1010 sensors. 2 of the redboards have 10 sensors each connected to them, all on digital pins. When touched, they each send a different message over serial to communicate with another program. Those have been working without issue for months now.
The final one has 18 sensors connected to it. This one has been causing me the most issues. I am using digital pins 3 through 13, and analog pins 0, 1, 3, 4, and 5. 2 is connected to ground. I installed it and it worked fine for a few months. Then I had to dismantle the project and transport it to its final location. I set everything up and then the board stopped communicating with the computer. I changed the cables and tried it on different computers and none would recognize it, so I replaced the board with the same model. It ran fine for about a month and now have encountered the same issue. The board lights up when sensors are touched, but does not communicate with the computer. I’m not inclined to purchase a third board because evidently there is something wrong with this system and I don’t want to cook a third board.
I am nowhere near an expert on electronics or programming, I am just a hobbyist who has done small projects similar to this in the past. This project just fell into my lap. I was handed the parts, told the plan, and told to make it work. I am doing my best, but right now I feel out of my depth. I was told it is supposed to work this way with 18 sensors, but right now it is not. I don’t know if I am doing something wrong or if this setup is doomed to fail.
What would be a time efficient, stable solution to keep these 18 sensors running? ie a more powerful board, splitting the sensors across two boards and altering the program accordingly, or something else I have not considered.