My last remaining original idea (HELP!!!)

[Captain Slug]

I've had this idea floating around in my head for the past two years and since I have almost no electronic engineering experience the only thing left to do is ask someone as talented as Hoot.
Hopefully one of you can help me figure out how to make one...

I'm build a new LAN case that will have different lighting options and I want to make a baybus to control all of them. However, I HATE the look of regular switches and push-buttons.

What I want to try is using toggling capacitive touch switch (it feeds low amperage current through your skin like static). They're used on more expensive stereos to control eject mechanism and I'm pretty sure I know how they work but I'm not sure how I would go about making my own.

A TouchBus would be uber pimpin' in my opinion and I have yet to see an example anywhere.

Here's the Touch Switch Diagram that I want to use. I need someone to explain it to me so I can order parts and make my own.

http://www.p5taylor.btinternet.co.uk/Touch_Switch.htm

Any feedback would be appreciated,
Captain Slug

P.S. If possible, PM or email me if you can explain to me how to make that particular touch switch.

 

[Diggrr]

It looks like part of the picture is missing....Some wires lead nowhere.

 

[Iron Hawk]

possably picking up a few kits like this would work:

http://electronickits.com/kit/complete/elec/ck1606.htm

The input power (9v) could be run off of a 12v line wiht a resistor. and you may have to replace the relay with one to switch on a 12v for the fans.

 

[Oni]

Give Hoot an email or a PM. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to help you out.

That's really a great idea!

 

[Captain Slug]

I've seen a few kits that are available but they're all CMOS based smart touch switches. Once I figure our how to make a 12V simplistic one for myself (hopefully one that takes up less space), then I also want to make a 5V model as a power switch.

Normal switches are ugly but touch switches would own.

 

[mcduffiem]

I'm doing research now for a touch plate switch for a guy on Bit-Tech for a stealthy Lian Li (no visible switches).

I believe the diagram you have is using separated contacts. You'd have to ensure you touched only the two contacts you wanted to activate the switch.

I imagine what you really want is a touch plate switch which activates when you touch a plate or designated area. I'm still researching to figure the easiest circuit to implement it using satndard PC voltages.

 

[mcduffiem]

This looks like the easiest circuit to implement for a one contact switch -- 5V CAPACITANCE TOUCH ACTIVATED MOMENTARY SWITCH. Use it to control a solid state relay and it would be sweet.

Good luck.

 

[Captain Slug]

I KNEW Bit-tech was going to do this eventually.

Thanks for the help everyone!

So... If I wanted to make a Touch Power button for my Computer I'd have to buy one of those kits and a 12V relay?

I could touch one of my fan grills to turn on my computer, that would be soooo cool!

 

[Tbird man]

can we say touch keyboard? anyone know the url for bit-tech?

 

[Captain Slug]

http://www.bit-tech.net

A capacitive Touch keyboard would require ALOT of micro circuitry and would most likey cost alot if ever completed.
Your current keyboard is activated by touch sensitive carbon pads. An easier method of having key-less keyboards would be as follows...

The user would put on carbon-finger-tipped gloves and tap the labelled circuit areas to activate the desired keys. This would be a cool project for anyone who feels like dissecting a keyboard and would require any extra equipment other than some latex gloves and a marker to write onto the cell to label where all the keys are.

Gah!!! My Mind is in Overdrive!!!!!!!

 

[mcduffiem]

I KNEW Bit-tech was going to do this eventually.

Thanks for the help everyone!

So... If I wanted to make a Touch Power button for my Computer I'd have to buy one of those kits and a 12V relay?

I could touch one of my fan grills to turn on my computer, that would be soooo cool!

Actually you wouldn't need the kit, you could build the circuit above yourself. It's your choice. Either way you have to put it together yourself. And you would have to cobble together a mod on the kit to make it work in this scenario.

But the fan cover idea is cool.

 

[Captain Slug]

I have some questions about this diagram...

http://www.discovercircuits.com/PDF-FILES/fingersw.pdf

1. Will it produce a momentary switch or always-on-after-triggering?

2. Which lead on the mosfet would be connected to the finger contact?

3. Will it still work at 2V?


If it produces only momentary I can build two of these for my power and reset switches without requiring the use of relays.

Unfortunately 100ohm is not enough current to power my 350ohm LED so I'd have to buy that kit and trigger the LED with a relay. I'll just use a regular switch instead.

 

[Captain Slug]

Oh yeah, and just in case everyone is wondering...

I have ZERO electronics experience and can't really interpret half of the diagrams I've been finding.
HENCE why I started this thread

But hey, atleast I'm trying.

 

[mcduffiem]

I have some questions about this diagram...

http://www.discovercircuits.com/PDF-FILES/fingersw.pdf

1. Will it produce a momentary switch or always-on-after-triggering?

2. Which lead on the mosfet would be connected to the finger contact?

3. Will it still work at 2V?


If it produces only momentary I can build two of these for my power and reset switches without requiring the use of relays.

Unfortunately 100ohm is not enough current to power my 350ohm LED so I'd have to buy that kit and trigger the LED with a relay. I'll just use a regular switch instead.

100ohm? I assume you mean 100 mA. Just use the output to power a relay, but I would check if there's enough power for your LED (unless you mean it's 350mA LED). I doubt the LED draws more than 30mA, but I;d need to know the specs.

1. Looking at the circuit, I don't see how it could be anything but momentary. Once again, it's a two contact circuit.

2. It's marked in the diagram -- G.


3. If you supplied 2V, only 2V would be aviable at for the load. Assuming the MOSFET will work at 2V, but I believe it will -- I haven't looked at the datasheet. I assume you need 2V for the LED -- just use a resistor to drop the 5V down to 2V.

Relays are not complicated or necessarily expensive. I guess you could use an opto-isolator instead, but again I doubt you need more than 100mA (unless it's a LED array or something.

 

[Captain Slug]

Yes, I meant 350ma. my typing has been in the toilet since one of my computers sliced open my thumb.

Here's the stats on the LED. It makes a great Cold cathode substitue.
Typical Candela on axis 660 Cd
Dominant wavelength 627 nm
Typical luminous flux 44 lumens
Junction material Aluminum Indium Gallium Phosphide
Typical forward voltage (Vf) 2.95 V
Forward test current (If) 350 mA
Max. forward current 385 mA

I will most likely be using the touch switch with the 2V leads from the power and reset headers on the motherboard so I can turn the computer on by touching two contact points.