Adafruit MPR121 12-Key Capacitive Touch Sensor Gator Breakout

Enhance your microcontroller projects with a sophisticated 12-channel capacitive touch sensor breakout board, featuring the versatile MPR121 chip. Engineered for seamless compatibility, it accommodates up to 12 individual touchpads, enhanced by a plug-and-play STEMMA QT connector and user-friendly large alligator/croc-clip pads—no soldering required for reliable touch sensing.

Benefits include easy I2C communication with most microcontrollers, adjustable sensitivity, and automated filtering for optimal performance. For flexibility, select from two addresses using the ADDR pin, enabling up to 24 touchpads on a single I2C bus. A built-in LED on the IRQ line offers visual feedback by blinking when detecting touch, aiding straightforward troubleshooting.

Equipped with a 3V regulator and I2C level shifting, the board accommodates both 3V and 5V microcontrollers, including Arduino and Raspberry Pi. The breakout PCB utilizes the Stemma QT form factor, complete with supportive circuitry to streamline testing. This ensures compatibility with SparkFun Qwiic connectors and 5V logic levels common in various boards.

Getting started is effortless thanks to provided Arduino and CircuitPython/Python libraries, with comprehensive tutorials and example code to facilitate sensor integration and data logging. Various connections are possible with materials such as copper foil or metallic nylon, using alligator clips to link the conductive surface to the board's pads.