Abbreviations and Definitions
- Channel: One of the capacitive points at which the controller can detect
capacitive change.
- Coplanar (Single Layer) design: Both X and Y electrodes fabricated on the
same layer of the PCB in mutual-capacitance sensor design.
- Electrode: A patch of
conductive material on the substrate that forms the sensor. An electrode is
usually made from copper, carbon, silver ink, or Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).
- Flooded-X (Two-Layer) design: Both X and Y electrodes are distributed in
two layers of the PCB in mutual-capacitance sensor design.
- Mutual-capacitance Sensor:
A sensor with connections to two parts of the sensor; an X (transmit) electrode,
a Y (receive) electrode. The mutual capacitance from X to Y is measured by the
controller.
- One-dimensional Sensor: A sensor that detects the linear movement of a
finger during touch (along a single axis). Typical implementation of
one-dimensional sensor is a slider.
- Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC): This is a microcontroller peripheral
which acquires signals to detect touch on capacitive sensors.
- Resistively Interpolated Sensor: A type of sensor that uses physical
resistors to electrically interpolate the electrodes.
- Self-capacitance Sensor: A
sensor with only one direct connection to the sensor controller. A
self-capacitance sensor tends to emit electric fields in all directions.
- Sensor: A component that
detects the touch. Sensors consists of one or more electrodes. It can be key,
slider, or wheel.
- Spatially Interpolated Slider: A type of sensor that uses the shape of
the electrodes to spatially interpolate the electric fields above the
sensor.