I-CubeX Online Store - TouchMicro-05 : Contact pressure sensor

TouchMicro-05 v1.2	$22.20US

2 - 6 : $21.09US ( save 5% )
7 - 19 : $19.98US ( save 10% )
20 + : $17.76US ( save 20% )
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, process and map the sensor data using our software (see below).

And look, it's part of a family. Here are all the versions we have available (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 bass. Use for capturing slaps while the Slide-500 functions as your pitch controller. A GForce3D 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-100 for octave control and a GForce3D to capture body movements.
Create a fancy control panel by combining Push sensors (Push, Push2D), Reach sensors (Reach, ReachClose), Slide sensors (eg. Slide-50, Slide-200, Slide-500, SlideRound, SlideWide), Touch sensors (see above) and Turn sensors to name a few.

Technical specifications

Product TouchMicro-05 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 °F)

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

Mounting adhesive disk

Cable 1.0 m (39 inch), shielded, red wire = power, black wire = ground, white wire = sensor output, extendable at least 100 m (328 ft) with ExtendCableD-10

Connector male 1x4 plug with 3 pins in a row spaced 2.54 mm (0.100 inch)

Weight 15 g (0.5 oz), incl. cable

Software support

Our SensePlay software is a very easy way to quickly map sensor data to (sequences of) sounds, images and videos using a drag & drop user interface.

Our EditorX software allows you to configure the digitizer to process and map the sensor data of multiple sensors simultaneously.

Our Link software allows you to receive the sensor data from the digitizer and use your computer to view, calibrate, record, process and map the sensor data of multiple sensors simultaneously.

Our SensorX software allows you to receive the sensor data from the digitizer and use your computer to view, calibrate, record, process and map the data of a single sensor.

08 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 Wednesday 20 October 2021.

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