CDC Boosts Touch Sensitivity

Promising improved responsiveness in user interface controls, the AD7147 capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) allows users to quickly add responsive user controls such as scroll wheels and touch pads to portable products. The device features 13 capacitance inputs with femto-Farad resolution, allowing users to implement up to 36 buttons per device. Integrated active shield technology protects the chip from capacitance-to-ground pickup and other noise sources. Improvement to its analog front-end yields a threefold improvement in sensor response compared to previous AD714x devices. The AD7147 typically consumes 1 mA in full power mode, 50 µA in low-power mode, and 2 µA in shutdown. The AD7147 includes a SPI-compatible interface while the AD7147-1 provides an I2C interface. Both devices are sampling now and will be available in full production quantities in July. Price is $1.30 each/1,000. ANALOG DEVICES, INC., Norwood, MA. (800) 426-2564.