Introduction: Upgrade Miniature Houses With Capacitive Sensor/ Touch Sensor Light

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About: I was a project manager for Toy and other electronic products manufacture. Now I am a sourcing person for fun projects in Blinkinlabs. We are now relocated in Amsterdam. I am not always online, if you have any…

We bought these miniature houses in Utrecht for decoration. While I was adding the LEDs in it, I thought I should use capacitive sensor chips to build a touch switch for the light and the miniature should be powered by USB power bank.
I like capacitive switch because it is really handy, especially because of the past decade the capacitive switch technology changes.

Supplies

Material:

miniature houses

LEDs, here I used the yellow through LEDs and 2700k warm white LEDs.

conductive cables / wires, here I used D=0.15mm enameled wire.

Resistors 100˜200R to limited the current for 5V power input

power cable: 24awg 2p cables and USB cable

connectors: 2p socket and headers

capacitor chip prototype board, pcb file in github

Touch pad: Tin foil(you can find it in the baking supply)/ or copper foil

Step 1: The Touch Sensor Switch Board

I used PT2043AT6 for the touch sensor chip just because I have them in stock. Kindly remind that it is not a unique chips, there are a few of other ones could replace it directly.

Before I made the pcb, I solder it on a perfboard. here is the history twitter post https://twitter.com/lu_honghong/status/1514326881646096390

I used SS8050 / bjt transistor, because it is the first items come out from my mind when I worked for the toy industry. It is not the best part :P

Current:

LED on current : 5mA , depend on the led and the resistor

Sleep current 3uA (about 10~20 seconds after LED is off )



Step 2: Mount the Leds and the Touch Sensor Board Inside the Miniature

Use hot glue mount the leds and the touch sensor board inside the miniature. Tape the copper foil to a conductive wire and solder it to the touch sensor board , and use it as touch switch.

cut the use cable, solder the power (+) to the red cable and Ground to the black cable and solder 2p sockets in parallel . Mark the 5v side on the socket.

connect each miniature with the usb cable to the usb power bank. Now you can touch the touch pad to turn on the miniatures.