SparkFun Qwiic CAP1203 - Python Package

The SparkFun Qwiic CAP1203 Capacitive Touch Slier provides a simple and cost effective solution for adding three-input or slider touch input to your project. Implementing a SparkFun Qwiic I2C interface, these sensors can be rapidly added to any project with boards that are part of the SparkFun Qwiic ecosystem.

This repository implements a Python package for the SparkFun Qwiic CAP1203. This package works with Python, MicroPython and CircuitPython.

Contents

• About
• Getting Started
• Installation
• Supported Platforms
• Documentation
• Examples

About the Package

This python package enables the user to access the features of the CAP1203 via a single Qwiic cable. This includes reading the three touch inputs, detecting swipes, setting sensitivity and more. The capabilities of the CAP1203 are each demonstrated in the included examples.

New to qwiic? Take a look at the entire SparkFun qwiic ecosystem.

Supported SparkFun Products

This Python package supports the following SparkFun qwiic products on Python, MicroPython and Circuit python.

• SparkFun Capacitive Touch Slider - CAP1203

Supported Platforms

Python	Platform	Boards
Python	Linux	Raspberry Pi , NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano via the SparkFun Qwiic SHIM
MicroPython	Raspberry Pi - RP2, ESP32	SparkFun RP2040 Thing+, SparkFun RP2350 Thing+, SparkFun ESP32 Thing+
CircuitPython	Raspberry Pi - RP2, ESP32	SparkFun RP2040 Thing+, SparkFun RP2350 Thing+, SparkFun ESP32 Thing+

Note

The listed supported platforms and boards are the primary platform targets tested. It is fully expected that this package will work across a wide variety of Python enabled systems.

Installation

The first step to using this package is installing it on your system. The install method depends on the python platform. The following sections outline installation on Python, MicroPython and CircuitPython.

Python

The package is primarily installed using the pip command, downloading the package from the Python Index - "PyPi". Note - the below instructions outline installation an Linux-based (Raspberry Pi) system.

PyPi Installation

First, setup a virtual environment from a specific directory using venv:

python3 -m venv path/to/venv

You can pass any path as path/to/venv, just make sure you use the same one for all future steps. For more information on venv click here.

Next, install the qwiic package with:

path/to/venv/bin/pip3 install sparkfun-qwiic-cap1203

Now you should be able to run any example or custom python scripts that have import qwiic_cap1203 by running e.g.:

path/to/venv/bin/python3 example_script.py

MicroPython Installation

If not already installed, follow the instructions here to install mpremote on your computer.

Connect a device with MicroPython installed to your computer and then install the package directly to your device with mpremote mip.

mpremote mip install github:sparkfun/qwiic_cap1203_py

If you would also like to install the examples for this repository, issue the following mip command as well:

mpremote mip install --target "" github:sparkfun/qwiic_cap1203_py@examples

CircuitPython Installation

If not already installed, follow the instructions here to install CircUp on your computer.

Ensure that you have the latest version of the SparkFun Qwiic CircuitPython bundle.

circup bundle-add sparkfun/Qwiic_Py

Finally, connect a device with CircuitPython installed to your computer and then install the package directly to your device with circup.

circup install --py qwiic_cap1203

If you would like to install any of the examples from this repository, issue the corresponding circup command from below. (NOTE: The below syntax assumes you are using CircUP on Windows. Linux and Mac will have different path seperators (i.e. "/" vs. ""). See the CircUp "example" command documentation for more information)

circup example qwiic_cap1203\qwiic_cap1203_ex1_basic_readings
circup example qwiic_cap1203\qwiic_cap1203_ex2_detect_any_touch
circup example qwiic_cap1203\qwiic_cap1203_ex3_detect_swipe
circup example qwiic_cap1203\qwiic_cap1203_ex4_power_button
circup example qwiic_cap1203\qwiic_cap1203_ex5_detect_current_touch
circup example qwiic_cap1203\qwiic_cap1203_ex6_disable_interrupt
circup example qwiic_cap1203\qwiic_cap1203_ex7_set_sensitivity.py

Example Use

Below is a quickstart program to print humidity, pressure, altitude, and temperature read from the CAP1203.

See the examples directory for more detailed use examples and examples/README.md for a summary of the available examples.

import qwiic_cap1203
import sys

def runExample():
	print("\nQwiic CAP1203 Example 1 - Basic Readings\n")

	# Create instance of device
	myDevice = qwiic_cap1203.QwiicCAP1203()

	# Check if it's connected
	if myDevice.is_connected() == False:
		print("The device isn't connected to the system. Please check your connection", \
			file=sys.stderr)
		return

	# Initialize the device
	myDevice.begin()

	while True:
		if myDevice.is_left_touched():
			print("Left")
		if myDevice.is_middle_touched():
			print("Middle")
		if myDevice.is_right_touched():
			print("Right")

if __name__ == '__main__':
	try:
		runExample()
	except (KeyboardInterrupt, SystemExit) as exErr:
		print("\nEnding Example")
		sys.exit(0)