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CapSense Technology
AN64846 - Getting Started with CapSense
®
Doc. No. 001-64846 Rev. *X
19
Figure 2-16. Hysteresis
Sensor ON
Sensor OFF
Sensor OFF
Finger Thr Hysteresis
Finger Threshold - Hysteresis
Finger Threshold
2.4.2 SmartSense Auto-Tuning
2.4.2.1 What Is SmartSense?
Tuning the touch sensing user interface is a critical step in ensuring proper system operation and a pleasant user
experience. The typical design flow involves tuning the sensor interface in the initial design phase, during system
integration, and finally production fine-tuning before the production ramp. Because tuning is an iterative process, it can
be time-consuming. SmartSense Auto-Tuning helps to simplify the user interface development cycle. In addition, the
method is easy to use and reduces the design cycle time by eliminating the tuning process throughout the product
development cycle, from prototype to mass production.
2.4.2.2 What Does SmartSense Do?
SmartSense tunes each CapSense sensor automatically at power-up and then monitors and maintains optimum sensor
performance during runtime. The number of parameters to be tuned is reduced from 17 in CSD to 4 with SmartSense.
Power-up tuning:
SmartSense tunes the parameters of each sensor based on the individual sensor parasitic
capacitance to get the desired sensitivity for the sensor.
Runtime tuning:
Noise in the system is measured dynamically. The thresholds are adjusted accordingly for each
sensor to overcome false triggering due to dynamic variations in noise in the CapSense system.
2.4.2.3 How and Where is SmartSense Helpful?
SmartSense technology adapts for manufacturing variations in PCBs, overlays, and noise generators, such as LCD
inverters, AC line noise, and switch-mode power supplies and automatically tunes them out. SmartSense handles
changes in system environment, such as temperature, humidity, and noise sources such as RF, SMPS, LCD Inverter,
and AC line noise.
The following sections describe scenarios in which SmartSense is instrumental in adapting to the external noise. By
maintaining a robust signal-to-noise ratio, the false triggering of buttons is prevented.