Have been using this sensor to detect the presence of an occupant sitting in a chair. The sensor is placed beneath the seat so is invisible to the occupant. It has been working reliably as specified. I first purchased a similar sensor from Adafruit... unfortunately this was the AT42QT1010 (not the 1011 like this one). The 1010 is designed to reset its zero after ~60 seconds of continuous "presence". This doesn't work for my application, as an occupant may remain for more than 60s. This product (the AT42QT1011) states in the datasheet that it doesn't have this feature, and indeed, it has been working perfectly for the last few weeks in my application.

I needed something to replace a push button switch on my new project. This item exceeded my expectations, because it can detect a light finger tap through a plastic case, which simplifies my design. Thanks to the small size, it fits inside the existing case, and the low cost makes it possible to replicate the project and sell it at a profit.

The AT42QT1011 worked right out of the box hooking up +5 volts and ground. Bringing the finger close to the button triggered the LED on as expected. My application employs a PIC microcontroller programmed in assembly language. Most of the time the PIC stayed triggered while the finger was held on the button. Once in a while it would drop out. I investigated the output of the breakout with an oscilloscope and found periodically a downward spike lasting about 16 microseconds. In looking at the datasheet I discovered that device has a HeartBeat “health” indicator superimposed on the its output. This puts the output into a three-state mode for 15 microseconds periodically. The breakout circuit must pull this line down to +0.6 volts during the three-state mode. This will not cause any problems in most applications and once we know about it we can work around it if we have to. It was an interesting investigation and it helped me to learn more about the chip. I have oscilloscope pictures if interested.

This sensor is giving me many problems, many because of its irregularity in the signal. It constantly shows phantom signals, which makes it almost useless. I do not understand how they can sell a button so badly designed or at least provide a solution!. Would you be interested in oscilloscope readings, could you share them here with a link? Thank you!

Recognizing the inconsistency of the high signal response upon touch, I developed a debouncing technique tailored to detect touches reliably by focusing on the stable low signal. In this method, any signal other than the stable low is interpreted as a high signal, ensuring accurate touch detection.

This capacitive touch breakout is awesome. Dead-simple to use, looks amazing and with the ability to work through thin layers of plastics, the perfect addition to your next project. You're going to want more than one. Do yourself a favor and buy at least 3 of these guys.

works as advertised, well made, great instructions