I-CubeX Online Store - TouchMicro-10 v1.0 : Contact pressure sensor

TouchMicro-10 v1.0	$57.68US

5 - 19 : $54.80US ( save 5% )
20 + : $51.91US ( save 10% )
excl. sales tax

A touch sensor that captures what we feel when we apply force because its response curve is close to human perception of force. Contact pressure provides smooth continuous control. Responds to pressure from approx. 1 KPa (10 g/cm², 0.1 PSI) to 2.5 MPa (25 Kg/cm², 355 PSI) or a force of approx. 0.1 N (10 g, 0.02 lb) to 0.20 KN (20 Kg, 44 lb) that's applied evenly across its active area, a disk with 10 mm (0.4 inch) diameter. View and calibrate the sensor using our TouchSensors software.

And look it's part of a family of touch sensors. Here are it's relatives (note that all these sensors have a less smooth response curve):

Application examples

Can be easily worn or applied to a variety of flat surfaces. Blow Laurie Anderson, Marillion and others away. Trigger those samples!
Measure your weight distribution on a platform or tile. See the BalanceTile demo !
Use as a touch sensor for a sound synthesizer.
May be used to design your own fretless base. Use for capturing slaps while the SlideLong functions as your pitch controller. A GForce2D&Tilt2D will help you accentuate your tones when you move the stem upright.
Can be used in your custom wind instrument design. Use for buttons, while using a Slide for octave control and a GForce2D&Tilt2D to capture body movements.
Create a fancy control panel by combining Push sensors (Push, Push2D), Reach sensors (Reach, ReachClose, ReachOn), Slide sensors (Slide-50, Slide, Slide-170, SlideLong, Slide-500, SlideRound, SlideWide), Touch sensors (see above and TouchMiniOn) and Turn sensors (Turn, Turn&Spin) to name a few.

Technical specifications

Product TouchMicro-10 sensor

Version 1.0 (2006)

Sensing parameter contact pressure or force

Sensing method zero-travel force sensitive resistor

Active area 10 mm (0.39 inch) diameter disk

Range approx. 1 KPa (10 g/cm², 0.1 PSI) to 2.5 MPa (25 Kg/cm², 355 PSI) or
approx. 0.1 N (10 g, 0.02 lb) to 0.20 KN (20 Kg, 44 lb), applied evenly across active area
absolute maximum is approx. 4.5 KN (450 Kg, 1000 lb)

Response time less than 5 µs

Linearity less than ±5% (from 0 to 50% load)

Precision less than ±2.5% of max recommended force (80% of recommended max force applied)

Hysteresis less than 4.5 % of max recommended force (80% of recommended max force applied)

Drift less than 5% divided by log (time duration), given constant load of 90% of recommended max force

Output resistance more than 1 MOhm (at 0 N) to 2 KOhm (at 667 N) in parallel with 47 KOhm

Calibration (force applied evenly across active area)

N Kg lb Voltage (use 5 V power supply) 7-bit MIDI value (use 'no processing' editor preset)

0 0 0 0.00 0

0.98 0.1 0.22 1.38 35

4.9 0.5 1.1 2.95 75

9.8 1.0 2.2 3.74 95

49 5.0 11 4.72 120

98 10 22 4.84 123

Calibration (force applied per unit of active area)

KPa PSI Voltage (use 5 V power supply) 7-bit MIDI value (use 'no processing' editor preset)

0 0 0.00 0

12.5 1.81 1.38 35

63 9.1 2.95 75

125 18.1 3.74 95

625 91 4.72 120

1245 181 4.84 123

Power supply 1.0 to 10 V DC, 0.1 mA at 5 V

Operating temperature -9 to 60 °C (15 to 140 °F), force reading change per degree of temperature change = ± 0.36% per °C (0.2% per °F), for loads less than 4.5 Kg (10 Lb), the operating temperature can be increased to 74 °C (165 °F)

Sensor dimensions 30 mm (1.2 inch) x 14 mm (0.55 inch) x 0.2 mm (0.008 inch)

Weight 15 g (0.5 oz), incl. cable

Cable 1.0 m (39 inch), shielded, red wire = power, black wire = ground, white wire = sensor output, maximum extension 30 m (98 ft)

Connector male plug with 3 pins in a row spaced 2.54 mm (0.100 inch)

Software support The following standalone software can be executed with the runtime version of the Max software development environment (Windows / MacOS):

Max v5: TouchSensors patch v1.0 (includes source code)

Application notes

Please note that calibration of the sensor requires careful attention to detail since they behave differently near the extremes of the usable range. The sensor behaves as a force sensor within the specified range but may not behave like a force sensor beyond this range. It is merely documented as a saturation effect above the range, meaning that sensitivity changes with force, and as a threshold effect below the range, which behaviour may be hard to repeat or even random.

To obtain reliable results, the force has to applied evenly across the active surface area of the sensor. Using a finger to calibrate or to measure how much force you exert is very unreliable unless you at least use a flat rigid object between the finger and the sensor.

If the sensor shows a non-zero value when no force is applied, flatten the sensor between two flat objects for a few days. Any bending of the sensor may result in a non-zero at-rest value. Store sensor in flat position for best results.

Using adhesive to attach the sensor may result in a non-zero value when no force is applied

This page was updated on Wednesday 30 December 2009.

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