Microchip MTCH3380P and MTCH3240P add parallel sensing with 12 ADCs to turnkey button, slider and wheel controllers

Microchip Technology announced two turnkey capacitive-touch controllers on 8 October 2026: the MTCH3380P and MTCH3240P. They are aimed at display-free human machine interfaces, where touch buttons, sliders and wheels replace mechanical controls. In its press release, Microchip says the MTCH3380P is available starting at $1.06 and the MTCH3240P starting at $0.80 each in 10,000-unit quantities (launch pricing). Both can be bought directly from Microchip or through a Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor.

What changed: sensing channels in parallel

Microchip describes the pair as the first in its touch turnkey controller portfolio to incorporate parallel sensing for buttons, sliders and wheels. Rather than measuring sensors one after another, the controllers acquire several at once. "This performance is enabled by 12 on-chip analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) operating in parallel," the company says. Giovanni Fontana, senior director of Microchip's human machine interface division, said in the release: "Our MTCH3380P and MTCH3240P controllers address the touch-sensing challenges associated with display-free interfaces." He added that the parts deliver fast touch acquisition and a high signal-to-noise ratio.

Both parts are turnkey controllers: touch acquisition runs on the controller, and the host reads the results. Microchip says the launch expands its existing turnkey capacitive-touch family.

Sensor counts and ratings

The two parts differ mainly in how many sensors they can handle. According to Microchip's release:

	MTCH3380P	MTCH3240P
Mutual-capacitance sensors	up to 64	up to 32
Self-capacitance sensors	up to 38	up to 24
Starting price, 10,000 units (at launch)	$1.06	$0.80

Both controllers support customer-driven IEC/UL 60730 Class B functional safety certification and operate at up to 105°C. Microchip names home appliance, outdoor and industrial applications as targets, with examples including ovens, cooktops, refrigerators, washing machines, EV chargers, parking meters and kiosks.

Further details from CNX Software

CNX Software's 13 October write-up adds details that are not in Microchip's press release; check them against Microchip's datasheets before committing to a design. CNX lists:

Acquisition: charge-transfer engine with parallel sensing
Slider/wheel groups: up to 8 (MTCH3380P), up to 6 (MTCH3240P)
Sensing schemes: single-ended mutual, P2P mutual, single-ended self and P2P self capacitance
Panels: glass up to 6 mm, plastic up to 3 mm
Noise immunity: up to 240 Vpp between 1 Hz and 1 kHz (no touches); IEC 61000-4-6 Class A conducted noise immunity at 10 Vrms
Safety and security: UL/IEC 60730 Class B ready with power-on and periodic self-diagnostics; AES-128 encryption for configuration parameters and object protocol messages; firmware authentication
Host interface: I²C client supporting Standard (100 kHz), Fast (400 kHz) and Fast-mode Plus (1 MHz), plus a dedicated CHG interrupt line
Other features: Adjacent Key Suppression, a 64-byte data store, and configurable active/idle modes with wake-on-touch
Supplies: VDD 3.3 V nominal; VDDIO 1.8 V to 3.3 V. The MTCH3380P adds a 3.3 V analog supply, an internal voltage doubler for 6.6 V sensor drive, and a PWM output for backlight, buzzer or haptic feedback
Packages: MTCH3380P in 56-pin XQFN, 6 x 6 x 0.4 mm; MTCH3240P in 38-pin XQFN, 4 x 4 x 0.35 mm; both 0.35 mm pitch
Temperature range: -40°C to +105°C
Ordering codes: MTCH3380P-MAU001 and MTCH3240P-MAU001 (tray, minimum order 245 units); MTCH3380P-MAUR001 and MTCH3240P-MAUR001 (tape and reel, in multiples of 1,000 and 6,000 units respectively)

CNX also reports Microchip Direct pricing of $1.10 for the MTCH3380P and $0.84 for the MTCH3240P per piece for orders of 5,000, as of 13 October 2026.

Software and evaluation hardware

Microchip lists three kinds of development support: its mTouch Studio environment, evaluation hardware, and host drivers for Linux and Zephyr. According to CNX, mTouch Studio handles configuration, tuning and testing, and the evaluation boards are the EV-MTCH3380P-DEV-PCB and EV-MTCH3240P-DEV-PCB, both supporting mutual- and self-capacitance sensing.

What It Means for Makers

The intended users are designers of display-free control panels for appliances, outdoor equipment such as EV chargers and kiosks, and industrial systems, particularly where IEC/UL 60730 Class B certification is part of the product plan. For embedded developers, the Linux and Zephyr host drivers mean a Linux single-board computer or a Zephyr-supported microcontroller can act as the host without writing a driver from scratch; the controller sits on the I²C bus and signals touch events on its interrupt line.

The EV-MTCH3380P-DEV-PCB and EV-MTCH3240P-DEV-PCB boards are the starting point for trying the chips and tuning sensor layouts in mTouch Studio before committing a panel design. Parts can be ordered directly from Microchip or through its authorized distributors. For electrical, package and sensor-design guidance, start from the MTCH3380P product page and its linked documentation.