Taking touch to a new level Touch control is at the heart of most of today’s new user interfaces. Frank Krémer looks at how unified product development data models can help in sensor design ow many of us orginally and fun. ek up your fvourte MPS Became fntereed in player and you wil notice that touch tlctronice Decne we were Sones allow acest to mens, Seichos Highs otter gadgee’_——sbility to flrs side volume wp Chntic contol? Fast forward ewan don va linear or crear Sears and now is electronic provisets "wheel senso hat have ashok an sexy user To accommodate the use of such Interface that hold our attention, contain elecuonle products Central to these increasingly Unified product development sophisticated Inertacesis touch systems auch as Altus Designe, onto. Suble yet powerful 4 Provide fll support for creating Taking the product not only more. Sent controler ‘One ofthe major advantages of capacitive sensors that they are Nery durable thanks tothe protective structures that ean be used forthe ont panel wer lnterace Ths toach nt a no moving sppearanice even after an extended period of tse tte tou, but also eng "| Implementation issues ‘gure F- Smal buch Wheel deen PESEDINg products that use touch 14 November 2010 Components in electrons ‘controls isa comple process with & nge of decisions tobe made ch Seovhat maverite wil Be une, od bow the eetriel nd mechanical equirements will be met. Key to this proces Is te desig of the actual Expactve sensor board pattemns that fom the base ofthe pista! use Siena nate of lect els tbenween the sensor and ester fnvironment can make simple fumped element desu approximation misleading 2 best. By following a set of essetil les, tis However manly rating the onrect hoard sensor pater, fOr txample a complex wheel sensor, ‘an be palnsalang process and the ‘main cullenge for designers wishing fo tmplement touch sensors in thelr’ design Unified data mode! The Designers underiying unit dita mode allows toch sensor ‘design to be integrated nto the PCB ‘design flow, which vastly simples the process ‘he unfled data model represents single database that holds data for Slldbmains ina given projet even Figure 2 The sensor aealy ‘fits made up ofan array of Giferent projec es. The advantage fof tis approach is that ll deta ‘design are shared actos the Some project nal deen ‘raitional border and data ncompatblies that normally exist between indwidual pon too design appllations, and allows {ouch sensor desig to be Sulomatialy implemented fiom Schmati trough to PCB sensor pater for a capctive touch ements not a presefined ‘Somponent im 3 taaiional sense Thats is nota fixed footprint ot we.cigonine cok‘ther typeof package . In poste, Be emior om the PC fs the actual copper electrode pattern and when the Bose i Exsembled, an overlaying panel wll be placed ver the sensor. With ths ‘in mind, the goal isto easly ‘design we allowing fort speci, Seat caress tlement newts tobe apart ofthe ‘design database yt havea defined ‘apa Implementation inthe FEB'So now do you manage the tusk to crate a spelfledesg with Sy, elght butions, one sider and toch sensor implemented in sig by simply sleting the Sensor ype fom a dedicated touch, Sompontnt tir ‘ter placernet, the sensor appears asa symbol on the Glemati. Bot this cass the Symbol doesnot represent 2 {aditonal compontnt tial consis Cconfrsble component tat ‘deseibes the sensor type, ad also holds its physieal parameters for cxample, the dameter of the sensor forthe PCB patters, For each typeof Sensor you Jimplement, the dedicated parameters ‘ilog box. The parateters can aso fomponent asthe ae when ‘hanging the more of channels fora QMatax whee. Eco topce ‘When the sensor has been defined as ‘ele andthe est ofthe design s ‘ead to proceed, the schematic ‘formation ca be sychronied 0 she FC wig Desig stoma pattern rete stomatialy and placed on the board From hee the anand component placement std outing proces can go forward tmithout the need to invest further UUme in the sensor patter ise gure 4 The sensor is transfered to the PCA inthe uutomated ECO proces, which maintains fll contol ver the process sytem unified, eros domain data fowl. You can be confident that the correct sensor information Updated ana avallable i al the ‘elevant parts of the design flow. orth tusk mentioned stove (amplementing eight buttons, one wih si ed ‘Components incading some atonal resistor on the Schematic novel surprise here, The major Dene si the physical desgn ofthe touch sensors. [nsead ofthe extensive work needed to create bespoke patterns for each Simple place tnd rot tas, This is beans all the sensor stacres are ready to use and car be ‘econfigored eel a8 you go. ‘Overall the design process for ths relatively small touch control desig I reduce from stound two days fea ony have te atest touch steen beter product desges. Configurable PCB component ‘Once the sensor fs placed on the eb it ean be eontgured the same tray 38 the component inthe Scematc, by simply changig its Parameters this ete advantage of configurable component Tae ‘Mtemative would be to manvaly {reat the spell sensor pater Using standard PCB elements, wile tccurately checking dearnces plus a ‘ge of other paramcters ‘With Designers automated process and unified data med, the touch Sensor contol canbe developed ‘ery quiehy and easly Lats tnen Say ehat while you'te happy withthe ‘edule there has boon a change in the product’ front panel design, 2am hagee ‘With the configurable component, you simply open Its coniguration Gtlog, charge the darsetce parameter o the new value and Sou're done. The touch whee Feyardlss fis patter complexity, thy addtional wos Synchronisation ‘The automated condgurtion foment continue through the design proces IF the sensor has boon changed on eter side ofthe design, in the PCB or in the Schematic you simply synchronise the project aguinuling the standard CU Horware back notation) Aim yoatiuncon Pie, in ane na NEW Digital PTTL mpscar et) SHT21/SHT25 — Size that jj YOUR F | AMPLE! a SU eco OTe) Sed & Reliability SENSIRION oe ee we leanne cok More, Non ; lorooroi 9101070 F victors abd HOTOrMLO WaT A, ‘i niyo! 308 Noi 1010101] oto Sa 4 rey b oAOTOTOT | U presare ‘resmrement from 200 bar high sabley and S © aaameres Components in Electronics November 2010 15