The other essential component of the kit

The Touch Board is the other essential component of the kit. Supplied assembled and tested, it has the following functions:
  • a development tool compatible with the Arduino Leonardo IDE  ( USB cable included)
  • an MP3/MIDI/OGG/WAV (VLSI Solution VS1053b) file reader with outputs on a 3.5 mm stereo jack
  • a MIDI interface and a polyphonic synthesiser
  • a prototyping interface (compatible with Arduino shields)
  • a socket for a microSD* memory card (up to 32 GB – 128 MB card included)
  • a LiPo battery charger; this allows you to make autonomous projects with a battery of >500 mAh (not supplied)
Touch Board Pin Map
The many functions of the
Touch Board module
(Click to enlarge)

Twelve outputs are connected to an MPR121 (Resurgent Semiconductor) capacitive sensor control circuit.

Eight of these pins are configurable as digital I/O. Among the twenty digital I/O lines, three  are used by the MPR121 and five by the VS1053b for audio signals (these may be decoupled). And finally seven of the I/O lines are PWM channels.

Don’t forget twelve analog channels (shared with digital I/O pins) but don’t clog your brain with this stuff…

To get the board going once unpacked, you only need a USB power supply (3.0 V to 5.5 V / 400 mA) or a battery and and an amplifier + speaker connected to the audio output.
There are a host of application examples and, for each of the functions listed above, one or more specific libraries.
 
 
Touch Board Pro Kit_on-off
Once unpacked, the board works.
No need to even program it!
The aim of this kit is thus the rapid development of simple applications. Fun, useful or just for pleasure, they use the conductive ink and other conductors such as the copper tape. These form switches and sensors (capacitive or proximity) controlled by the Touch Board, which is programmed like an Arduino. That also produces the sounds used in many of the applications.

Five minutes after unpacking, watch in hand, we’re already having fun thanks to the other accessories included:
  • set of 12 cables (of good quality) with insulated alligator clips at both ends
  • board for experimenting called Touch Board Proto Shield  (pinout compatible with Arduino shields)
  • connectors to solder to the Touch Board for connecting the experimentation board above

 
Proto Shield  (Arduino compatible)
A kit like this lives or dies like a garden: the more varied, rich, fertile and stimulating it is, the more satisfaction it gives to those who use it. The creators of this product have taken pains to gather on their website a large number of examples and tutorials, some for elaborate functions like Projection Mapping with the Touch Board. These examples give ideas, solutions, tracks to follow. It is very well presented, with informative illustrations, clear text and sufficiently detailed explanations.

We’ll mention two that are worth a look: an interface for dogs and other pets, and an electronic hopscotch (see illustrations on the next page).


* In my kit the micro-SD card reader refused to work, but happily the card itself was perfectly OK.