Arduino Guru capacitive sensing

Please could you describe your problem in more detail, in particular the circuit you have made.

http://vimeo.com/27300276
I basically need 5 contacts ( each finger) to be a capacitive sensor,
in the two links i previously gave, i do think the capsense method would be better as it sounds to have a more bigger and flexible range.

so the circuit is 5 metal pieces doing capacitive sensing and then 5 digital output turning on 5 different LEds linked to each 5 sensors.
contact on sensor 1 turn on LED 1 , etc etc

but i still need the capacitive sensor values to go into max/msp as i need to control some instrument and samplers with it...

not sure i make sense, let me know :)

would me be nicer to be able to control the led from max/msp as well.

cap sensor value ===> firmata in ===> max/msp (instruments) =====> Firmata out ====>LEDs

sort of..

Hello freeka

If you don't require Max GUI control of the LEDs, can I suggest a simpler algorithm?

capSensor ---> Arduino ---> Max

and just light the LEDs using Arduino code conditions:

if (capSense1 > "some-minimum-value")
{
digitalWrite (LedPin1, HIGH);
}
else
{
digitalWrite (LedPin1, LOW);
}

I think your first task should be to ensure you're getting clean signals from your circuit; use the serial monitor window in Arduino to check what your circuit and sensors are up to. You should have something like:

Serial.print (mySensor1);
Serial.print ("/t");
Serial.print (mySensor2);
Serial.print ("/t");
.
.
.
.
Serial.println (mySensor5);
}

at the end of your void loop() function.

Brendan
ps I shouldn't be replying, as I don't meet the OP criteria :p

OP Op!

i would have prefer to deal with the light from max, then i can change the behavior of them (differents presets , blinking, intensity linked with the sound i trig, etc...)

but if its easier to do it straight from the arduino then i can go the easy way !

Hi
if you want various behaviours from your LEDs, then of course the easier solution would be Max ---> Arduino, especially if, like me, the programming chops aren't too hot!

Brendan

True M(ei)ster!

then what would be the best way to mix firmata and the above codes?
this is the thing i don't really figure out...

errm, maybe I'm missing something here,but if you have serial data flowing though to Max from your sensors which suggests that your circuit is ok & you are then turning on LEDs from Max where is the problem?
Use those inputs on your other stuff too.
Surely that is the beauty of Firmata, using (familiar) Max to handle i/o
Maybe post appropriate part of your patch

looks like an interesting project

ok, i will try to explain my problem better,

-the only way i found to communicate between arduino and max is firmata
- then the only way i got to do capacitive sensing with the arduino is using the capsense code or the other one above but then the values i got are only into the arduino monitor , so i do need to add code to send these values to max...
this is the part i am stuck with... and then of course i still need to turn on/off the leds

To be more precise, when i started the project i was using resistance sensing technique which possible to do directly with firmata only (basicaly if someone was touching one of the finger and my skin in same time it was triggering sounds and turning on light) but now the project did change a bit and i need to do the same but with people touching just the monster hand finger and without touching my skin in same . i know i could use pressure sensor instead or even put had a "ground" metal piece on each finger to still use the resistance sensing technique but i still would love to arrive to do it thru capacitive sensing method.