I-CubeX Online Store - TouchMicro-5 v1.2 : Contact pressure sensor

TouchMicro-5 v1.2	$15.25US

2 - 9 : $14.49US ( save 5% )
10 + : $13.73US ( save 10% )
excl. sales tax

A small, round touch sensor. Contact pressure provides continuous control. Responds to pressure from approx. 10 KPa (0.10 Kg/cm², 1.5 PSI) to 981 KPa (10.0 Kg/cm², 142 PSI) or a force of approx. 0.2 N (20 g, 0.04 lb) to 98 N (10 Kg, 22 lb) that's evenly applied across it's active area, a 5 mm (0.2 inch) diameter disk. View, calibrate, record and map the sensor using our TouchSensors software (see below). See this videoclip for a demo !

And look it's part of a family. Here are it's relatives (note that some of these sensors have a different 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!
Use as a touch sensor for a synthesizer.
May be used to design your own fretless base. Use for capturing slaps while the SlideLong functions as your pitch controller. A GForce2D-2 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 GForce3D-6 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-5 sensor

Version 1.2 (2006)

Sensing parameter contact pressure or force

Sensing technology zero-travel force sensitive resistor

Active area 5 mm (0.2 inch) diameter disk

Range approx. 10 KPa (0.10 Kg/cm², 1.5 PSI) to 981 KPa (10.0 Kg/cm², 142 PSI) or
approx. 0.2 N (20 g, 0.04 lb) to 98 N (10 Kg, 22 lb), evenly applied across active area

Repeatability 5% (max) for one sensor, 25% (max) across multiple sensors

Response time 1 to 2 ms (mechanical)

Output resistance more than 100 KOhm (at 0 N) to 200 Ohm (at 98 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 0.10 0.22 2.36 60

9.8 1.0 2.2 4.61 117

98 10 22 5.00 127

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

49.6 7.20 2.36 60

496 72.0 4.61 117

4964 7200 5.00 127

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

Operating temperature -20° to 100° C (-4° to 212° C)

Sensor dimensions 8 mm (0.3 inch) diameter x 0.5 mm (0.02 inch) thick disk

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

8 Dec 2010: TouchSensors v1.11 for MacOS and Windows from source code in Max

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 be 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 Thursday 30 May 2013.

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