Renesas Electronics Corp. has unveiled a material-detection solution that can detect materials or liquids without sensors by connecting electrodes using Renesas’s RX130 capacitive touch-key microcontrollers (MCUs). By replacing sensors with the electrode approach, it enables low-cost detection at multiple points using a single chip while lowering bill of materials (BOM) costs, said Renesas. Applications include industrial and office automation (OA) equipment as well as home appliances.

The solution works by connecting two thin-film electrodes and measuring the capacitance between the electrodes using a touch-key MCU. Changes in the measured materials are determined by detecting the change in capacitance between the electrodes.

The touch-key MCUs feature a capacitive touch sensor unit that is designed for capacitance measurement with extremely high sensitivity and high noise resistance. This enables the material-detection solution to easily detect the presence or absence of solid materials such as vacuum cleaner dust or liquid in a coffee maker by measuring the capacitance between the electrodes to the MCU. The increase or decrease of the material changes the capacitance value between the electrodes.

>> Read the complete article originally published on our sister site, Electronic Products: “Detection solution uses electrodes with touch-key MCUs to ‘sense’ liquids and solid materials.”