The Microchip s AT42QT1481 is a capacitive touch controller with configurable 48-QTouch buttons. The Microchip QMatrix sensing algorithm (mutual capacitance) enables the user to achieve more buttons than there are pins because of this matrix layout. This capability makes the device ideal for home appliance customers that require high button counts at low cost. The button sensors can be constructed in a variety of shapes and sizes. The device includes all signal processing functions necessary to provide stable sensing under a wide variety of changing conditions and frequencies (Conducted Immunity certified to EN61000-4-6 Level 2B).
The AT42QT1481 is certified to meet the European Standards (EN) & International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60730 class B home appliance certifications. IEC/EN 60730 (Ed. 4.0) / IEC/EN 60335 (Ed. 5.0) standards cover mechanical, electrical, electronic, EMC, and abnormal operation of appliances. These certifications assure safe operation within an appliance if a fault within the system is detected by shutting it down. Although the certifications are conducted at the system level, selecting the right microcontroller (MCU) increases the ease of passing the certification and helps in bringing a product faster-to-market. With this certification, manufacturers can now easily design household appliances that are IEC/EN-certified with Microchip capacitive touch controllers for button, slider and wheel capability. This device also includes Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) for self-testing purposes to enable users to get their products to market quicker and with more safety and security.