Reference Designs Simplify 2D/3D UserInterface Development for Home Appliances, Industrial Equipment

 

04 Apr 2019

TOKYO, Japan ― Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced twotouch-free user interface (UI) solutions to simplify the design of 2D and 3Dcontrol-based applications. Based on Renesas’ capacitive sensormicrocontrollers (MCUs), the new solutions support the development of UI thatallows users to operate home appliances, as well as industrial and OA equipmentwithout touching the devices. The UI solutions make it possible for applianceand equipment manufacturers to quickly develop touch-free interfaces thatincrease the added-value of their products in terms of both equipmentconvenience and design.

 

There are a variety of situations wheretouch-free operation is advantageous, such as when the users’ hands are wet,when the controls are out of reach, or when it is not safe for the user totouch the controls. Renesas new touch-free UI, for example in the kitchen,users could adjust water temperature and flow rate through hand gestures nearthe faucets or adjust stove fan operation by holding a hand over the hood. Thetouch-free UI solutions allow customers to easily implement these interfaces intheir embedded equipment. The reference designs are available for downloadedeffective immediately.

 

“We are pleased with the strong response to our MCU-based touch-keysolutions, which are currently deployed by more than 200 Renesas customers, andwe are excited to continue enabling customers with solutions that bring newcapabilities and experiences to the market,” said Toru Moriya, Vice President,Home Business Division, Renesas Electronics Corporation. “The new touch-freesolutions represent another step in the evolution of capacitive touch sensorsystems with high sensitivity and excellent resistance to noise for operationin multiple conditions and will lead to new UIs that are more user-friendly andconvenient to use both in the home and in the workplace.”

 

Key features of the touch-free UIsolutions:

The new gesture solutions detect motion ina 2D coordinate system and in 3D space, respectively. With both solutions,Renesas provides design materials (circuit diagrams, board design data files,and parts lists) that form the reference hardware for the capacitive touch-keyMCU, as well as coordinate calculation middleware, sample programs, applicationnotes, and an evaluation tool for monitoring the detected coordinates.

 

The touch-free UI solutions have passedclass B (note 3) testing for the IEC 61000 4-3 level 3 (note 1) and 4-6 level 3(note 2) noise immunity standards, and can achieve stable operation (Note 4).

 

The 3D gesture solution is available inthree different sizes and can be selected based on the application:

 

Standard version (160 × 160 × 100 mm) withRX231 MCU

Miniature version (80 × 80 × 80 mm) withRX130 MCU

Slim version (100 × 100 × 20 mm) with RX130MCU for additional space saving

 

AboutRenesas touch-key solutions:

In addition to the new touch-free UIsolutions, Renesas offers touch-key solutions for devices designed to operatewith challenging or non-traditional touch materials such as woods, or requiredto operate in wet or dirty environments such as a kitchen or a factory floor.Renesas provides a development environment with QE for Capacitive Touch,Workbench6, solution kits and evaluation systems specialized for capacitivetouch key development in addition to Renesas’ capacitive touch key MCUsstarting with the RX130 Group, which are ideal for use in HMI for industrialequipment and home appliances.

 

Moving forward, Renesas will continue topursue the development HMI-based solutions that enhance users’ everydayexperiences with their appliances and equipment and contribute to a smartsociety.

 

Availability

The 2D and 3D touch-free UI solutions areavailable now for download at https://www2.renesas.cn/products/software-tools/boards-and-kits/eval-kits/3d-gesture-reference-design.html.

 

MoreInformation

To learn more about the Renesas&lqquot& capacitivetouch key solutions, visit https://www2.renesas.cn/solutions/proposal/touch-key.html.

 

(Note 1) IEC 61000-4-3 Level 3: Immunity test for radiated electromagnetic energy for electronic equipment: Under an electromagnet field of 10 V/m.

(Note 2) IEC 61000-4-6 Level 3: Conducted immunity test for radiated electromagnet interference for electronic equipment: Under a voltage of 10 V.

(Note 3) Class B: Equipment of this class must provide functions that can recover independently even if a temporary drop or loss occurs.

(Note 4) See the application notes for the test conditions.

source：https://www.renesas.com