MC11S

The MC11 series is a highly integrated dual-channel capacitive sensing IC. The chip connects directly to differential capacitor plates near the target under measurement, exciting resonance to resolve minute capacitance changes. The excitation frequency is configurable in the range of 0.1~20MHz, and the frequency measurement output is a 16-bit digital signal, with a maximum capacitance sensing resolution of 1fF. The chip adopts a fully digital design, supporting up to 1MHz I²C communication rate for function configuration and data read/write. In addition, the chip integrates a temperature sensing circuit for temperature compensation and other temperature sensing applications. Capacitive sensing, working in conjunction with detection electrodes, enables dielectric detection of various substances. It is a non-contact detection technology with low power consumption, low cost, and high resolution. Compared to traditional RC oscillator-based touch capacitance structures, the MC11 series offers stable operation and a simple circuit requiring only a single reference capacitor, with a configurable operating frequency suitable for a wide range of applications. Frequency calculation is fully digitalized through an internal digital signal processing unit, and multiple operating modes can be flexibly configured. Compared to similar products available domestically and internationally, the MC11 series features lower-cost peripheral circuitry, a wider capacitance excitation frequency range, a broader operating voltage range, and more flexible reference frequency and operating mode configuration. The chip incorporates temperature sensing signals for temperature compensation; the independent dual-channel measurement circuits can provide mutual compensation as a reference, and automatic alarm logic can also be configured. The compact, low-cost chip is widely applicable in liquid level measurement, touch sensing, water immersion detection, and other sensing scenarios. The MC11 series is a highly integrated, low-cost, dual-channel capacitive conditioning IC suitable for a variety of capacitive sensing applications. Compared to traditional switching architectures, the MC11 uses a resonance-based method to measure capacitance. Thanks to its floating differential structure, the capacitance under measurement is less susceptible to parasitic capacitance to ground, providing strong noise immunity. The fully integrated design requires minimal external components. When the measured capacitance in the resonant circuit changes, the resonant frequency of the circuit changes accordingly. Based on this principle, the MC11 calculates the capacitance value by measuring the frequency count.

Applications

• Smart home appliance liquid level
• Water tank level
• Water immersion sensing
• Touch sensing

Key features

• Capacitance measurement range: 1~1000pF
• Temperature range: -55℃~+125℃
• Frequency range: 0.1MHz~20MHz
• Frequency resolution: up to 15bit
• Supply voltage range: 2.0V~5.5V
• Conversion time: 1~100ms (configurable)
• Peak measurement current: 0.8mA (configurable)
• Sleep mode current: 50nA
• Shutdown mode current: 40nA
• Average power consumption: 2.6μA@1Hz
• Available in QFN16/TSSOP16/SOP8 packages