Marine LED Controller Design

flux

1:54

Consulting on touch connectors.

Exploring WLED touch features.

Addressing WLED touch replication.

Linking components accurately.

Mapping ESP32 touch GPIOs.

Accessing knowledge base.

Looking for "capacitive touch pins list" in esp32_datasheet_en.pdf

Looking for "GPIO mapping for touch channels T0 to T9" in esp32_datasheet_en.pdf

Looking for "recommended pins for capacitive touch on module" in esp32_datasheet_en.pdf

Looking for "touch sensor peripheral electrical characteristics input capacitance cable length guidelines" in esp32_datasheet_en.pdf

Searching web for: "ESP32 touch pins T0 T9 mapping GPIO list datasheet"

Found 1 results.

Proposing remote touch solutions.

Great idea. Short version: the ESP32 can expose many touch channels, but raw capacitive touch does not travel well over wires. Break out several local touch pads/connectors on the master, and if you need remote touch at slaves, use a small touch-to-digital converter locally and return a clean digital signal to the master.
What WLED/ESP32 can support
  • Hardware: U3 supports up to 10 capacitive touch channels (T0–T9). Safe-to-use pins (avoid boot strapping pins) are typically: T8=GPIO33, T9=GPIO32, T7=GPIO27, T6=GPIO14, T4=GPIO13, T0=GPIO4.
  • Software: WLED supports at least one touch/button input out of the box. Multiple independent touch inputs may require custom configuration/usermod. Plan hardware breakouts now; firmware can map them later.
Proposed touch breakouts on this board (through-holes or pads)
  • TOUCH1: GPIO33 (T8) on U3
  • TOUCH2: GPIO32 (T9)
  • TOUCH3: GPIO27 (T7)
  • TOUCH4: GPIO14 (T6)
  • TOUCH5: GPIO13 (T4)
  • TOUCH6: GPIO4 (T0) Notes:
  • Label each as TOUCHx and provide an adjacent GND through-hole for shield/frame wiring.
  • Place a small series resistor at the MCU side (100–470 Ω) and an ESD path near the connector (e.g., a low-cap TVS Diode). We can also tie these lines into the existing ESD array D1 if channels are available.
About long cables and multiple slaves
  • Raw capacitive touch over long leads is very sensitive to cable capacitance and noise. Expect unreliable behavior as length increases; shielding and careful routing help but only to a point.
  • Recommended for remote/slave locations:
    • Put a tiny touch IC at each remote point (e.g., AT42QT1010 or TTP223) and output a clean digital signal back to the master. Protect with series resistor + TVS at the connector.
    • If you only need an “any touch” signal from 6 slaves, wire-OR the open-drain outputs (or diode-OR) to a single input on the master with a pull-up at the master.
    • For long runs or noisy marine wiring, consider differential signaling (RS-485 transceivers) for robustness, still driven by the remote touch IC’s digital output.
WS driver data routing recap
  • Keep ESP32 D1 (selected GPIO) -> WS2805 DIN1.
  • Board “DATA IN” connector -> WS DIN2 (or selectable via solder-jumper).
  • WS DOUT -> “DATA OUT” connector.
  • This preserves master/slave chaining without needing the ESP32 populated.
Want me to add six TOUCHx + GND through-hole pairs (with series resistors and ESD footprints) and assign them to GPIO33, 32, 27, 14, 13, 4 on U3? If yes, also tell me:
  • Approximate cable lengths to the touch contacts.
  • Whether you prefer local remote touch ICs at slaves (recommended) or raw touch lines back to the master.
Define cable lengths
Choose remote IC approach
Ask about WLED limits
Request connector guidance
Ask about combining slave signals
127 days
Sign up to send

To get started, talk to Flux or create a New Document.

Documents

    Documents are markdown text files which describe project goals, capture details, or even simulation outputs.

    Assets

    Assets are files uploaded to this project which can be used in various ways.

    Led Design thumbnail
    Marine-Grade 5-Channel PWM LED Controller with ESP32 and Integrated 12V→5V Buck

    Properties

    mm
    mm

    Pricing & Availability

    Distributor

    Qty 1

    Arrow

    $0.56–$0.74

    Digi-Key

    $11.20–$11.82

    LCSC

    $17.32–$17.51

    Mouser

    $12.33

    TME

    $1.37

    Verical

    $0.52–$1.98

    Controls