PCAP01AD

ADCs/DACs - Special Purpose Overview

The PCAP01AD is a single-chip capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) digital signal processor manufactured by ScioSense. It utilizes the patented PicoCap measurement principle to achieve high resolution with conversion times as short as 2 µs. The device supports up to eight grounded or four floating capacitive sensors, featuring internal compensation for stray capacitance. It integrates a RISC processor core with Harvard architecture, including 48x48 bit RAM and non-volatile OTP memory. Electrical specifications include a supply voltage range of 2.1 V to 3.6 V and an operating temperature range of -40°C to +125°C. Communication is handled via I2C or SPI interfaces.

ADCs/DACs - Special Purpose Feature Summary

• High-resolution capacitance measurement with RMS noise down to 6 aF at 5 Hz output data rate
• Integrated RISC processor with 4k x 8 bit volatile program memory and 4k x 8 bit OTP memory
• Supports both grounded (up to 8 channels) and floating (up to 4 channels) sensor configurations
• Dual serial interface compatibility with I2C (up to 100 kHz) and SPI (up to 20 MHz)

ADCs/DACs - Special Purpose Applications

• Humidity sensing
• Position and angle detection
• Pressure and force measurement
• Level sensing
• MEMS sensor interfacing

ADCs/DACs - Special Purpose Procurement Notes

Verify component authenticity through authorized ScioSense distributors or direct sales channels. Confirm package integrity upon receipt, as the QFN-32 variant is moisture-sensitive (MSL Level 3). Ensure firmware requirements are met, as standard operation requires loading specific firmware versions via the serial interface before full functionality is available.

ADCs/DACs - Special Purpose Selection Notes

Select the PCAP01AD when high precision and low power consumption are critical for capacitive sensing applications. This model provides eight dedicated capacitor ports suitable for complex multi-sensor arrays. Consider the PCAP01AK if fewer channels are required or if cost optimization is necessary, noting that it lacks external oscillator support and has reduced pin availability compared to the AD variant.

ADCs/DACs - Special Purpose Part Context

The PCapØ1 series was originally developed by acam-messelectronic GmbH and later transferred to ScioSense. The PCAP01AD represents the fully featured QFN-32 package version of this capacitance-to-digital converter. It serves as a specialized data acquisition component designed to replace discrete analog front-end circuits in modern sensor systems requiring digital integration.

ADCs/DACs - Special Purpose Replacement Considerations

Publicly confirmed substitute part numbers are not available in the provided documentation. Designers should consult ScioSense technical support for cross-reference recommendations or evaluate other members of the PCAP01 family, such as the PCAP01AK, based on channel count and package constraints.