USER MANUAL
plyon® flex development kit

This publication is protected by copyright. No part of the publication may be used,
reproduced, or translated, in any form, without the prior written consent of tacterionGmbH. plyon and the plyon logo are trademarks of tacterion GmbH. tacterion andthe tacterion logo are trademarks of tacterion GmbH. Other names and brands may
be claimed as the property of others.
© 2022 tacterion GmbH. All rights reserved.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P2

DISCLAIMER

The technical data mentioned in the user manual and data sheet are compiled basedon tacterion’s best knowledge; tacterion does not assume any warranty or liability for
their accuracy, completeness, and merchantability.
The plyon® flex development kit and its contents are engineering samples, meaningthat the design of the product is not yet concluded and finally tested by tacterion.
Engineering samples may be partially or fully functional and may differ from publishedproduct specifications.
The kits are intended solely for product and/or software developers for use in a
research and development setting to facilitate feasibility evaluations, experimentation,or scientific analysis. The kits, nor its contents, have a direct function and are not afinished product.
The kit, nor its content, may be used for reliability testing in any finished product orfor the purpose of manufacturing any finished product.
The kitis an engineering sample and has NOT been tested for FCC compliance.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P3

The kit can only be purchased by business/enterprise customers and is not intended for
personal consumer purchase. The kit may only be utilized by the original purchaser or
acquirer, and may not be resold, distributed, leased, rented, or otherwise transferred,in whole or in part, or used in any finished product or production.
tacterion GmbH assumes no responsibility for the consequences of the customer’s
use of the kit or for any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties which
may result from its use in combination with any technology developed or added by
the customer.
If the customer shall purchase or use tacterion GmbH products for any unintended
or unauthorized application, the customer shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmlesstacterion GmbH and its officers, employees, subsidiaries, affiliates, and distributors
against all claims, costs, damages, and expenses, and reasonable attorney fees arisingout of, directly or indirectly, any claim of personal injury or death associated with such
unintended or unauthorized use.
The kit, accessories, and packaging should be sorted for environmental-friendly
recycling. Do not dispose of the device in the household waste!
According to the European Guideline 2012/19/EU, electric and electronic devices
that are no longer usable must be collected separately and disposed of in anenvironmentally correct manner.
The information contained herein is subject to change. All statements, information
and recommendations contained herein do not constitute a warranty of any kind,
express or implied. All images are for illustration purposes only; actual items shown in
the images may vary as to, without limitation, size, color, and labeling. Please review
this product guide thoroughly, paying attention to any safety sections, to make surethat you use the kits and their content safely.
tacterion GmbH reserves the right to change, amend, or update all available documents,
including this user manual, at any time and without notice. Contact tacterion GmbHor go to https://www.tacterion.com/shop/devkit to obtain the latest documentation
for this product.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P4

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
2
3
4
5
6
6.1
6.2
6.2.1
6.2.2
6.2.3
6.3
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
7
7.1
7.2
7.3
8
9
9.1
9.1.1
9.1.2
9.1.3
9.1.5

Getting Started7
Warning Labels
8
Terms & Abbreviations9Applicable Documents
10
Intended Use11
Inappropriate Use
12
Personnel Qualification
13
Warranty
14
Package Contents
15
Quick Start Guide
16
Find your way around the Board17Standalone
18
Power the Board
18
Connecting Sensors
19
Single Taxel Sensors
20
Connecting the Array
21
Connecting the Slider
22
LED Feedback 
23Standard Channel LED Array explained
24
Special Case: the plyon® flex Array
25
plyon® flex Slider Feedback LEDs
26
Resistive and HFC readout							27
Adjusting the reference resistor					28
Proximity Detection					
30
Data Stream
32
Connecting the D-01 to a Computer
32
Comma separated string - Tera Term
32
Serial Graph Visualization - kst34
Prototype
35
Additional information
37
Sensors
37
plyon flex® Square
37
plyon flex® Medium38
plyon flex® Stripe
39
plyon flex® Array40

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P59.1.59.2
10
11

plyon flex® SliderD-01 PCB
Recommendations For Integration
Contact

41
42
43
44

SKIP TO QUICK START GUIDE

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P6

1 GETTING STARTEDThe plyon® flex development kit (dev kit) is designed to help you evaluate thecapabilities of tacterion’s flexible touch and force sensor technology, utilizing
capacitive and resistive readout. Due to its versatility, the plyon® flex sensor modules
can be used to make many curved surfaces touch and force sensitive.

Hybrid Readout (HFC)
Excellent Signal Integrity under Bending
Highly Customizable Layers
Small, Thin and Durable
Simple Electrical Interface

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P7

1.1 WARNING LABELS

To make risks clear, the following signal words and labels are used for safety notes.
ATTENTION: Failure to follow the information provided within thesewarnings may result in damage to the sensor or electronics, injuries, orproperty damage.
HINT: The user manual contains hints and tips, providing additional
information about the technology, underlying principles, or otherhelpful pieces of information.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P8

1.2 TERMS & ABBREVIATIONS

dev kit/kit 		
Refers to the Standard plyon® flex Development Kit and all			its content.
PET 			Polyethylene terephthalate, thermoplastic polymer of the			polyester family.
Product 					

Refers to the products based on the plyon® flex sensor
technology, including the dev kit and all its contents.

Sensor module						

Refers to a sensor with more than one sensitive area, e.g.
the plyon® flex 4-taxel sensor module or the plyon® flex
4-taxel line array, which are part of the dev kit.

(single) sensor(s)Refers to a sensor with a single sensing area. See taxel.

Taxel 			
			
			
			
			
			

Tactile pixel – refers to a single sensing area. The sensors
offered by tacterion are either single-point sensors, e.g.
PFL-10020, PFL-10021 and PFL-10033 or sensors withmultiple sensing areas, e.g. PFL-10010 and PFL-10022.
Each individual taxel or sensing area can determine whenproximity, touch, or force are applied.

ZIF		

Zero Insertion Force connector

HFC/hfc					hybrid force compensation - a combination of hardware and 		source code to reduce drift within the readout over time.

True Zero 					

plyon® sensors provide zero output under bending, unlessa vertical force is applied, or a minimum radius undershot.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P9

1.3 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

In addition to this user manual, the following documents apply and must be read andunderstood by the customer:•

Data sheet of plyon® flex standard sensors

The documents can be downloaded following the links below.
https://www.tacterion.com/technology/data-sheet

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P10

1.4 INTENDED USE

The content of the plyon® flex development kit is for the sole purpose of researchand development, e.g. (i) evaluation of the general functionality of the materials, (ii)testing
the properties and performance of the sensors, the readout electronics, and thesoftware supplied and (iii) examining potential use in/with products. The plyon® flex
development kit and its content are excluded from the following EU directives basedon the stated reference:••

EMC Directive 2014/30/EU, based on Article 2, 2. (e)RoHS 2 Directive 2011/65/EU, based on Article 2, 4. (j)The contents may only be used within the scope of the technical data provided inthis manual or the respective technical data sheet. Please refer to 1.3 Applicable
documents and the Disclaimer for further details.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P11

1.5 INAPPROPRIATE USE

The plyon® flex development kit and its content shall not be directly or indirectly
assembled as a part or subassembly in any finished product.
The plyon® flex development kit and its content are not intended for consumer orhousehold use.
The plyon® flex development kit and its content may not be sold, sublicensed, leased,
rented, loaned, assigned, or otherwise distributed for commercial purposes by users,
in whole or in part, or used in any finished product or production. This may not apply
to provided software released under a separate license. In this case, please refer tothe respective license provided with the documentation.
Do not use the plyon® flex development kit or any of its content as safety or emergency
stop devices or in any other application where failure of the product could result inpersonal injury.
Do not use this product for applications other than its intended and authorized use.
Before installing, handling, using, or servicing this product, the data sheet, user
manual, and other application notes must be read and understood. Failure to comply
with these instructions could result in property damage, serious injury, or death.
The plyon® flex development kit has not been tested for FCC compliance. For further
details please refer to the Disclaimer.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P121.6 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION

Personnel working with the product must be sufficiently qualified to prevent serious
injuries and property damage.
•••

Only qualified personnel may work with the components of the plyon® flex
development kit
The personnel must have read and understood the user manual and other relevant
documentation provided with the plyon® flex development kit
National safety regulations and general safety instructions must be observed

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P13

2 WARRANTY

If the plyon® flex development kit is used as intended (see chapter 1.4), the warranty
is valid for 12 months from the ex-works delivery date.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P14

3 PACKAGE CONTENTS

01x
02x
02x
01x
01x

plyon flex® Stripe
plyon flex® Medium
plyon flex® Squareplyon flex® Array with ZIF Connector
plyon flex® Slider

01x
01x

Core Unit
D-01 PCB

01x
15x

Micro-USB cable
Jumper Wires

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P15

4 QUICK START GUIDEPower the Board - 6.1

Connecting Sensors- 6.2

Interaction & feedback - 6.3

Switch between HFC & resistive - 6.4

Adjusting the reference resistor - 6.5

Proximity & feedback - 6.6

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P16

5 FIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE
BOARD
1

3

4

9
10

11

2

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

5

6

7

8

Proximity Potentiometer and feedback LED
Reference Resistor Potentiometer
HFC/Resistive Switch
USB Micro
Slider feedback LEDs
Single taxel feedback LEDs
Reset
Pin header connector
Proximity channel
Slider channel
Standard - single taxel channels

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P17

6 STANDALONEThe „standalone“ mode of the plyon® flex development kit allows direct onboard
interaction without having to connect additional hardware or installation of readout
software. Its strength lies in intuitive and quick learning of how the sensors function andwhat affects sensor performance and characteristics most. For detailed signal analysis
or even table top prototype mockup setups please visit the respective chapters „data
stream“ or „prototype“.

6.1 Power the Board
The D-01 PCB can either be supplied using a 5V USB port on any PC/Laptop/Powerbank
or with an 5V AC socket adapter.
If the board is correctly powered, the status LED on the HCU should be active (green,
blinking).

Micro USB 5V

ATTENTION: Connect to one power supply only! either USB or through the pin header
input (read more about powering the system via the pin header in chapter 8). Connecting
two power supplies simultanously may result in damages to the device and sensors or
injury and property damage.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P18

6.2 Connecting Sensors
You can connect the plyon® flex sensors in two different ways:
1. directly connecting the crimped flex-tail of the sensor to the socket connector
on the PCB. This way tangling cables are avoided and the setup can be kept cleanand simple.
2. using jumper wires to bridge betwenn the PCB crimped flextail to have more
flexibility in positioning the sensors. We added a set of jumper wires to the kit.
Feel free to use any length of male/female jumper wires to fit your purpose.
The following sketch shows the implemented pin layout and labelling.

Proximity
SliderSingle Taxel Sensors

Proximity: only plyon® flex Square, Stripe or Medium sensor must be connected tothe proximity channel. (reference designs with a 2 pin connector)
Slider: only the plyon® flex Slider will be functional using this channel.
Standard (1-6): all single taxel sensors (plyon® flex Square, Stripe, Medium and Array)sensor can be connected to the „Standard“ channels. For properly connecting theArray there is additional information available in chapter 5.1.2.2.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P196.2.1 Single Taxel Sensors
plyon® flex Square (PFL-10020)
plyon® flex Medium (PFL-10021)
plyon® flex Stripe (PFL-10033)

The following sketch shows the layout of the pins primarily used to connect individual
single taxel sensors.

Channel 1
CommonChannel 2
CommonChannel 3
CommonChannel 4
CommonChannel 5
CommonChannel 6
CommonPlease stick to the following schematic Incorrectly connected sensors may result in
corrupted or no readout.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P206.2.2 Connecting the Arrayplyon® flex Array (PFL-10022)
In order to connect the plyon® flex 4 taxel array sensor insert the flex-tail into the ZIF
connector of the adapter board. It is crucial to connect it with the printed conductive
traces facing down/the sensor module facing upwards as shown below.

The ZIF adapter board is subsequently attached to the electronics as shown below.
Make sure the silicone side of the sensor is facing you.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P216.2.3 Connecting the Slider
plyon® flex Array (PFL-10023)
The design of the sensor allows using the sensor 2 ways.

SLIDER

Channel 1
CommonChannel 2

1. Regular: Silicone side up
2. Upside Down: PET side up
(1)

(2)

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P22

6.3 LED Feedback
The D-01 carries 3 areas (1-3) to provide realtime visual feedback of the interaction
forces and one system status LED (4).

proximity feedback LED (1)slider feedback LEDs (2)standard feedback LEDs (3)status LED (4)1. proximity feedback LED: 2 color status diode indicating the approximation of e.g.
a human hand once set up correctly. Only active with sensors connected to the„PROXIMITY“ socket.
2. slider LEDs: white unicolor LED array indicating position and force intensity at thegiven position (change in brightness). Only active with sensors connected to the„SLIDER“ socket.
3. standard feedback LEDs: RGB LED array indicating different force levels throughgradient color. Only active with sensors connected to the „STANDARD“ sockets.
4. status LED: blinks green if board is powered.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P236.3.1 Standard Channel LED Array explained

Clusters, Channels and feedback LEDs are labeled and numbered accordingly.
Standard Channel 1 -> Standard LED 1, Standard Channel 2 -> Standard LED 2...
We took a fairly simple approach of mapping increasing interaction forces to colors
representing increased temperature.
RGB „STANDARD“ LED color temperature scale:4095

0min. forcesmax. forces

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P246.3.2 Special Case: the plyon® flex Array
Due to the advanced routing of the sensor and the connector socket pin allocation
the last 2 taxels of the Array sensor are reversed on the STANDARD LED array.

plyon® flex Array taxel routing:

1

2

4

3

4

6

5

Exemplary readout for the plyon® flex Array:3

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P256.3.3 plyon® flex Slider Feedback LEDs
For the slider feedback unicolor white LEDs with a change in brightness are used.
The logic behind it can be read as follows:
1. 6x1 LED array to indicate the finger position with 1 being closest to the flex-tail and6 being the tip of the sensor.
2. The illuminated LEDs add up, e.g. for position 4, LEDs 1-4 remain active.
3. the brightness indicates the force level at the given position with
low intensity = low force
high intensity = high force

HINT: The slider sensor works either way: silicone or PET side up. Again, due tofixed routing, flipping the sensor also flips the direction of the mapping for the LED
sequence.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P26

6.4 Resistive and HFC readout

HFC (hybrid force compensation): Our latest feature optimizes the sensor for staticload by enabling an almost drift free readout over time.
The most noticable change next to the drift minimization lies within the force required
to actuate the sensor. Now that we are utilizing both, capacitive and resistive readout,
the force required to actuate the sensor is noticably decreased.
Activating HFC readout:
1. Set the switch to „ON“ position
2. The RGB readout LEDs will light up because the capacitive value requires further
calibration
3. Hit the „RESET“ button
4. The signal is now calibrated
Activating resistive readout:
1. Set the switch to „OFF“ position
2. The resistive signal does not require additional calibration -> the resistive readout
is available again

HINT: The HFC calibration is affected by channel,
sensor & environment. If you experience unexpected
readout behavior one of those factors most likely has
been changed -> simply hit the reset button again.
If the setup remains untouched after initial calibration,
switching between hfc and resistive is possible
without further repetitive calibration.
HINT: The HFC readout only impacts the standard
single taxel channels. Slider and Proximity
functionalities remain untouched by the changes.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P27

6.5 Adjusting the reference resistor
The plyon® flex sensor changes resistance depending on the applied force. For thecorrect readout of the sensor, a voltage divider is used. The sensor is wired in series
with a reference resistance and a voltage of 3.3V is applied. An analog-to-digitalconverter (ADC) is connected to the center node of the divider. By making use of themeasured output voltage, the input voltage of 3.3V, and the reference resistance, theresistance of the sensor can be computed.

The left/lower rotary potentiometer allows full manual control over the reference
resistor in a value range between 0 to 20 kΩ.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P28

Adjusting the poti affects the resistive readout for:1. standard single taxel channels 1-6
2. slider channel
Some effects of increasing (clockwise) the reference resistor while in „resistive“
readout mode include:
1. low forces: the required onset force for the single taxel, array and slider is reduced
2. high forces: the sensors saturate quicker
For the HFC readout being more complex, the felt difference adjusting the reference
resistor are minor compared to the resistive only readout.
Some effects of increasing (clockwise) the reference resistor while in „HFC“ readout
mode include:
1. low forces: effects on the onset force are negligible
2. high forces: the sensors saturate slower
HINT: Because the proximity feature is capacitance based, it remains unimpressed byany changes of the reference resistor.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P29

6.6 Proximity Detection
The dedicated proximity channel utilizes the printed electronics conductors as anantenna. The proximity detection function needs to be adjusted for each sensor
individually (amongst other things because the amount of printed conductive ink isdifferent). That is what the right/upper rotary potentiometer is for.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P30

Here is how you tune in the proximity detection for each sensor layout:
1. Connect any of the following sensors:plyon® flex Square (PFL-10020)
plyon® flex Medium (PFL-10021)
plyon® flex Stripe (PFL-10033)
plyon® flex Slider (PFL-10023)
2. Check the proximity feedback LED right next to the rotary potentiometer for oneof the following statuses:(a) LED off =no signal(b) LED white =proximity detected(c) LED red =contact detected

Make sure your hand is not in range of the currently connected sensor and adjust
the potentiometer to achieve the following targeted status/position:
LED stably off, but as close as possible to turning white.
(a) Slowly turn the potentiometer clockwise until it transitions from Off to 		white. Finetune it counterclockwise until it is Off again. Now you should havefound the sensor specific „sweetspot“ for proximity detection.
(b) Turn the potentiometer counter clockwise into MIN position, repeat (a)(c) Turn the potentiometer counter clockwise into MIN position, repeat (a)HINT: The plyon® flex reference designs included in the kit are not optimized forproximity detection. It simply serves demonstration purposes of proximity being
an option in your sensor design. For your serial product you can expect higher
proximity detection distances.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P31

7 DATA STREAM
RGB LEDs are nice and everything - but let‘s talk real sensor data here.
For streaming the preprocessed data from the D-01 all it takes is a Windows or Mac OS
based Computer that can host an external Micro USB device. In the following chapters
we will lead you through setting up your system.

7.1 Connecting the D-01 to a Computer
Use the enclosed USB cable (or any standard Micro USB cable) to connect the D-01
PCB to your computer. Two things should be happening:
1. The status LED on the HCU/D-01 board starts blinking
2. Your OS detects the D-01 as a serial device at the dedicated COM port
Now that a stable connection between the board and you computer is established,
the only thing we need to do is visualize the data stream. There are two ways of
streaming the data:
1. Comma seperated string using a 3rd party software called „Tera Term“
2. Serial graph visualization using an additional 3rd party software called „kst“

7.2 Comma separated string - Tera Term
1. Download the Tera Term (link) application
2. Unzip the archive
3. (Connect the electronics to the device using any Micro USB cable)
4. Open Tera Term by launching the “ttermpro.exe”
5. Select “Serial” connection and the COM Port assigned to the electronics, confirm
by clicking “OK”
6. If everything is properly set up, the serial data stream should be visible in the Tera
Term window

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P32

1. For logging your data stream, click on the “File” menu and select “Log…” to savethe data in a text file on your PC. This text file will be constantly updated with thedata streamed from the electronics

FormatASCII characters comma separated
HFC off:
HFC on:res1,res2,res3,res4,res5,res6,position0,force0
hfc1,hfc2,hfc3,hfc4,hfc5,hfc6,position0,force0

With: resX 		
hfcX 		postion0			
force0= resisitive value sensor channel X= hybrid value sensor channel X= position value for slider sensor
channel 0= force for slider sensor channel 0

Conn. speed:

115200baud

Sampling rate

~30Hz

Range

Range Resistive Value: 0…4095
Range Hybrid Value:
dynamic

Startup delay

143ms (release RESET, time until first UART transmission)

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P33

7.3 Serial Graph Visualization - kst
1. Download Kst (link) application selecting the version for your operating system (forWindows please download the 32bit version), this will lead you to a new webpage:
click on the green “Code” button and then “Download ZIP”.
2. Unzip the archive
3. Download the tacterion specific kst configuration file (link) and extract the filefrom the ZIP archive
4. (Connect the electronics to the PC via USB)
5. Open Tera Term by launching the “ttermpro.exe”
6. Select “Serial” connection and the COM Port assigned to the electronics, confirm
by clicking “OK”.
7. If everything is properly set up, the serial data stream should be visible on the Tera
Term window
8. Click on the “File” menu and select “Log…” to save the data in a text file on yourPC. This text file will be constantly updated with the data streamed from theelectronics.
9. Go to the “kst” folder and there to the “bin” folder and launch the “kst2.exe”
application.
10. Click on the “File” menu and then on “Open…”.
11. Select the recenlty downloaded tacterion kst configuration file “20220222-tctDevKit-visualization-NewKit”.
12. A window will pop up asking to select a new data file. Select the path to the filecreated with Tera Term at (8.), then click on “Change”.
13. The data streamed from the different channels should now be visible through the
Kst application.
14. There are different tabs, the start up screen shows Standard Channels 1-6, the
2nd tab shows the slider only and the 3rd tab all 8 on one screen.
15. Finally, we suggest adapting the increment of the “Period between updates (ms)”parameter in the Kst settings to 50 ms. This can be achieved by going to the“Settings” tab in the Kst application and clicking on “Configure Kst”. There change
the “Period between updates (ms)” value from the default value to 50.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P34

8 PROTOTYPE
The following sketch shows the pin header connector on the D-01. The pin header
connector can be used to supply power as well as connecting the readout electronics
to a 3rd party microcontroller board like an arduino.
5
3
1

6
4
2

#

Name

Voltage

Type

Comment

1Rx

5V tolerant

Input

UART communication line,
data input

2

VDD

3.3V

Power

If USB is connected:
3.3V out (Imax = 50mA)
If no USB is connected:
3.3V in

3Tx

5V tolerant

OutputUART Communication line,
data output

4

IOEX

5V tolerant

OutputReserved for future use,
can be driving output
low/high, do not connect
signals

5

GND

Power

System GND, can be used
to connect GND to external devices

6

nRST

Input w. int.
pull up, open
drain

System reset, can beused to externally reset
the system

3.3V

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P35

ATTENTION:
		
		
		

Connect the readout electronics to one power supply only,
either USB or through the pin header input. Connecting the readout
electronics to two power supplies may result in damages to the devices
and sensors, injury, or property damage.

HINT: 		VDD 3.3V input won‘t be sufficient to power the onboard LEDs

HINT: 				Maximum current supply capability of VDD out = 50mA, if exceeded		the D-01 shuts down

HINT: 				The data output is identical for USB-CDC and UART-out and is sent 		simultaneously. For details please check chapter 4.2.2

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P36

9 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
9.1 SENSORS
9.1.1 plyon flex® Square
Model No.:		
PFL-10020
Type:			single taxel
Sensing area:
16x16 mm
Module size: 		
24x24x0.5 mm

TrueZero
HFC
Proximity+++

Description: The „Square“ is a well rounded small sized single taxel sensor. Its sensing
area is predestined to prototype single button interfaces with multiple force levels. It
is the closest of our reference designs to a generic mechanical button.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P379.1.2 plyon flex® Medium

Model No.:		
PFL-10021
Type:			Single Taxel
Sensing area:
10x50 mm
Module size: 		
18x58x0.5 mm

TrueZero
HFC
Proximity+++

Description: The „Medium“ is an off the shelf medium sized single taxel sensor. The
increased sensing area allows to cover more surface area and allows for the first
operator presence sensing prototype builds. It can also be utilized as a „long button“
Maybe even bent around the ridge of your handheld device to allow LH/RH use in just
one sensor?

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P389.1.3 plyon flex® Stripe

Model No.:		
PFL-10033
Type:			Single Taxel
Sensing area:
8.5x90 mm
Module size: 		
16x100x0.5 mm

TrueZero
HFC
Proximity+++

Description: The „Stripe“ is our longest single taxel sensor and made for operator
presence detection e.g. in handheld devices. Its dimensions are optimized to fit abroad range of hand sizes.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P399.1.4 plyon flex® Array

Model No.:		
Type:			Sensing area:
Module size: 		

PFL-10022
Taxel Line Array
Taxelsize: 10x10 mm, Gap between Taxels: 4mm
18x58x0.5 mm

TrueZero
HFC
Proximity++-

Description: The „Array“ is a medium sized multi taxel line array. Multiple sensing
elements in a close proximity to each other allow not only for single taxel (single
button) readout but also for inter taxel transition & directional gestures. It would bepossible e.g. to detect the slide from one end to another just by interpreting theactuation sequence of the sensing elements.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P40

9.1.5 plyon flex® Slider

Model No.:		
PFL-10023
Type:			Resistive Slider
Sensing area:
10x50mm
Module size: 		
18x58x0.5 mm

TrueZero
HFC
Proximity++

Description: The „Slider“ is an advanced layout that optimizes accuracy and sensitivity
for sliding gestures (one direction). It detects position and force applied. Multitouchgestures are not possible.
The slider provides a value range from 0-4095. The sensing area can logically be
segmented to achieve different funcitonal areas. In the example below, the value range
0-1500 is a seperate „single taxel button“ with a specific actuation threshold, while
1500-4095 is dedicated to a slide gesture. The areas cannot be used simultanously.

1500-4095

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

0-1500P41

9.2 D-01 PCB

feedback LED
potentiometers
feedback LED
switchfeedback LED
reset button
pin header connector
USB Micro
HCU

sensor connector pins

Model No.:					EBS-10018
Module size: 					117x70x20 mm
Power Supply: 				5VCommunication Interfaces:		
USB (CDC/Virtual COM Port), UART, 6 PIN

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P42

10 RECOMMENDATIONS FORINTEGRATIONThe sensor can be integrated into your prototype product for evaluation and testingin different ways. Common integration options are:(a)(b)

fastening by friction
double-sided adhesive tape(a) is a non-destructive option and can be realized e.g. by positioning the sensor as alayer between the product surface and a protective layer.
HINT: The area above the four single tactile sensors can be used to secure the sensor
in place, e.g. with a latch. This area is insensitive to applied pressure.
HINT: Make sure that any protective layer is applied with enough pressure to secure
the sensor, but not to activate the resistive readout. Too much pressure can trigger
the resistive readout or reduce the possible bending radius with true zero readout.
(b) can provide better adhesion and can make additional fixings unnecessary. However,it may not be possible to remove the tape or sensor without damaging the sensor.
ATTENTION: Adhesive tapes or other adhesives can make it impossible to remove thetape or the sensor without damaging or destroying the sensor.

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P43

11 CONTACT

Thank you for purchasing our product and trusting our company. We are always
available to answer your questions on this product and other solutions.
Ask and challenge our sales representative, or get in contact via the options mentioned
below:
tacterion GmbH
Nymphenburger Straße 580335 Munich – Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 452 47 750
support@tacterion.com
www.tacterion.com

document version 1.0 | © 2022 tacterion GmbH | all rights reserved

P44