1

I'd like to buy a standalone capacitive touch sensor to create interactive art. It says it is powered by 1.8 to 5.5 VDC. I am new to arduinos - what type of battery can I buy to power this sensor? I'm hoping it's simple, not complicated. Thanks!

1
  • 2
    Welcome, Sarah. That means that you can power your sensor with anything that delivers at least 1.8 volts of direct current upto at most 5.5 volts. Depending on the model of your Arduino, it has either 3.3V and/or 5V outputs for powering other components and its pin are expecting signals of the same voltage level.
    – Kwasmich
    Nov 28, 2018 at 12:18

2 Answers 2

2

VDC is an abbreviation for volts DC. DC means Direct Current you can read more a detailed explanation about it here. Basically what powered by 1.8 to 5.5 VDC means is that the DC voltage on the input of your sensor can vary from 1.8 volts up to 5.5 volts. So you can use either 3 AAA batteries in series since the sum of their voltage will be: 1.5V * 3 = 4.5V what is in the range of recommended voltages for your sensor. Also, you can use a Li-ion battery in order to power your sensor since the voltage of this type of battery is 3.7V it is also in the range of recommended voltages for your sensor. However you would need an additional charge/discharge module in order to recharge and keep the battery in a good condition. You can read more about it on the web.

0

do you have a 5V power supply? If you do I'd suggest connecting your arduino to the power supply and then you can power your sensor with a pin of the arduino.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.