Ice Tube Clock – Capacitive touch snooze mod

[ahoude]

Hello,

This mod use a strip of copper tape to detect capacitance change through the acrylic for snooze activation.

Here a short video as proof!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8xU4ZuVCso


More info and firmware available on my website -> http://www.misenso.com/?p=220

Thanks.

[adafruit]

nice work! we'll post this up on the blog!

[stinkbutt]

I wonder if the strip of copper is really necessary. I mean, you could probably get some minimal capacitance out of just the surface of the plastic case with the wire taped to the inside. Sure, no surface area to speak of, but from the conductivity of the surface of the acrylic, perhaps?

[ahoude]

I already tested with a short wire for capacitive touch sensing, but I needed an absolute touch on wire for capacitance change.

With a longer wire I think it could be possible to detect capacitance change through the acrylic.

[stinkbutt]

Perhaps if you used a higher voltage - Like the boost converter output voltage that's driving the VFD. That sounds like a good idea, right? Attempting to electrify the surface of acrylic with 80-100V so you can detect someone touching it? OK, not so much.