Snowtouch: code to read capacitive touch sensor

This example shows you how to read and visualize capacitive touch data from your Snowboard.

Required Hardware and Software

    • Snowboard

    • Processing

    • [optional] Any conductive material that can be attached to capacitive touch sensing connector of Snowboard

Connection

Connect Snowboard to your PC.

Upload Firmware

1. Run Arduino IDE

2. In Tools-Board, choose Arduino Leonardo.

3. In Tools-Port, choose an appropriate port which your Snowboard is attached.

4. Go to File-Examples-Snowboard and choose snowtouch to open the example.

5. Switch to the example and click the upload button.

Visualization

1. Go to the unzipped folder you create during the installation, find and double click snowtouch.pde.

2. Click Run button in the upper left corner.

The application will run, automatically find Snowboard, and wait for your input to start the visualization.

    • By default, the application assumes that the Snowboard is connected to the first COM port. If there are several COM ports in your PC, the this application will not run correctly. In this case, find the following line in snowtouch.pde and change its value to an appropriate port number.

port="auto"

For example, if Snowboard is attached to port 5, the line will be

port="COM5"

The application is waiting for key input to start. Press 'b' to start visualization.

Touch any sensing electrode on your Snowboard then the visualization application will show the strength of capacitance change due to your touch as shown below:

You can connect any conductive material as shown in the following video.