ESP32 KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module

🛠️ KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module Troubleshooting

This guide outlines a systematic approach to troubleshoot and resolve common problems with the . Start by confirming that the hardware connections are correct, as wiring mistakes are the most frequent cause of issues. If you are sure the connections are correct, follow the below steps to debug common issues.

❌ No Response from Sensor

⚠️ False Triggering

💻 Code Examples

Below you can find code examples of KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module with ESP32 in several frameworks:

• Arduino IDE
• ESP-IDF
• ESPHome
• PlatformIO
• MicroPython

If you encounter issues while using the KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module, check the Common Issues Troubleshooting Guide.

ESP32 KY-036 Arduino IDE Code Example

Example in Arduino IDE

Fill in your main Arduino IDE sketch file with the following code to use the KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module:

int analog_input = A0; // Analog output of the sensor
int digital_input = 3; // Digital output of the sensor

void setup() {
    pinMode(analog_input, INPUT);
    pinMode(digital_input, INPUT);
    Serial.begin(9600);
    Serial.println("KY-036 Touch Recognition");
}

void loop() {
    float analog_value = analogRead(analog_input) * (5.0 / 1023.0);
    int digital_value = digitalRead(digital_input);

    Serial.print("Analog voltage value: ");
    Serial.print(analog_value, 4);
    Serial.print(" V, 	 Threshold value: ");

    if (digital_value == 1) {
        Serial.println("reached");
    } else {
        Serial.println("not yet reached");
    }
    Serial.println("----------------------------------------------------------------");
    delay(1000);
}

This Arduino code initializes the analog and digital input pins connected to the KY-036 sensor. It reads the analog voltage and digital state, printing the analog voltage and whether the threshold set by the potentiometer has been reached to the serial monitor every second.

Connect your ESP32 to your computer via a USB cable, Ensure the correct Board and Port are selected under Tools, Click the "Upload" button in the Arduino IDE to compile and upload the code to your ESP32.

ESP32 KY-036 ESP-IDF Code Example

Example in Espressif IoT Framework (ESP-IDF)

If you're using ESP-IDF to work with the KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module, here's how you can set it up and read data from the sensor. Fill in this code in the main ESP-IDF file:

#include <stdio.h>
#include "freertos/FreeRTOS.h"
#include "freertos/task.h"
#include "driver/adc.h"
#include "driver/gpio.h"

#define ANALOG_PIN ADC1_CHANNEL_6 // GPIO34
#define DIGITAL_PIN GPIO_NUM_15

void app_main(void) {
    adc1_config_width(ADC_WIDTH_BIT_12);
    adc1_config_channel_atten(ANALOG_PIN, ADC_ATTEN_DB_11);
    gpio_set_direction(DIGITAL_PIN, GPIO_MODE_INPUT);

    printf("KY-036 Touch Sensor Test\n");
    while (1) {
        int raw = adc1_get_raw(ANALOG_PIN);
        float voltage = raw * (3.3 / 4095.0);
        int digital_state = gpio_get_level(DIGITAL_PIN);

        printf("Analog Voltage: %.2f V, Threshold: %s\n", voltage, digital_state ? "reached" : "not yet reached");
        vTaskDelay(pdMS_TO_TICKS(1000));
    }
}

This ESP-IDF code configures GPIO34 as an analog input and GPIO15 as a digital input for the KY-036 sensor. It reads the analog voltage and digital state, printing the voltage and whether the threshold has been reached to the console every second.

Update the I2C pins (I2C_MASTER_SDA_IO and I2C_MASTER_SCL_IO) to match your ESP32 hardware setup, Use idf.py build to compile the project, Use idf.py flash to upload the code to your ESP32.

ESP32 KY-036 ESPHome Code Example

Example in ESPHome (Home Assistant)

Fill in this configuration in your ESPHome YAML configuration file (example.yml) to integrate the KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module

sensor:
  - platform: adc
    pin: GPIO34
    name: "KY-036 Touch Sensor Analog"
    update_interval: 1s
    filters:
      - multiply: 3.3
      - lambda: |-
          return x * 1000;  // Convert to millivolts

binary_sensor:
  - platform: gpio
    pin:
      number: GPIO15
      mode: INPUT_PULLUP
    name: "KY-036 Touch Sensor Digital"

This ESPHome configuration sets up the KY-036 sensor with both an analog and digital sensor. The analog value from GPIO34 is converted to millivolts, while the digital sensor on GPIO15 acts as a binary sensor to indicate touch detection.

Upload this code to your ESP32 using the ESPHome dashboard or the esphome run command.

ESP32 KY-036 PlatformIO Code Example

Example in PlatformIO Framework

For PlatformIO, make sure to configure the platformio.ini file with the appropriate environment and libraries, and then proceed with the code.

Configure platformio.ini

First, your platformio.ini should look like below. You might need to include some libraries as shown. Make sure to change the board to your ESP32:

[env:esp32]
platform = espressif32
board = esp32dev
framework = arduino

ESP32 KY-036 PlatformIO Example Code

Write this code in your PlatformIO project under the src/main.cpp file to use the KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module:

#include <Arduino.h>

#define ANALOG_PIN 34
#define DIGITAL_PIN 15

void setup() {
    pinMode(DIGITAL_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP);
    Serial.begin(115200);
    Serial.println("KY-036 Touch Sensor Test");
}

void loop() {
    int raw_value = analogRead(ANALOG_PIN);
    float voltage = raw_value * (3.3 / 4095.0) * 1000; // Convert to millivolts
    int digital_value = digitalRead(DIGITAL_PIN);
    Serial.printf("Analog Voltage: %.2f mV, Digital State: %s\n", voltage, digital_value ? "Touched" : "Not Touched");
    delay(1000);
}

This PlatformIO code sets up GPIO34 as an analog input and GPIO15 as a digital input for the KY-036 sensor. It reads the analog voltage and digital state, logging the voltage and touch detection status to the serial monitor every second.

Upload the code to your ESP32 using the PlatformIO "Upload" button in your IDE or the pio run --target upload command.

ESP32 KY-036 MicroPython Code Example

Example in Micro Python Framework

Fill in this script in your MicroPython main.py file (main.py) to integrate the KY-036 Metal Touch Sensor Module with your ESP32.

import machine
import time

ANALOG_PIN = machine.ADC(machine.Pin(34))
ANALOG_PIN.atten(machine.ADC.ATTN_11DB)
DIGITAL_PIN = machine.Pin(15, machine.Pin.IN, machine.Pin.PULL_UP)

while True:
    analog_value = ANALOG_PIN.read()
    voltage = (analog_value / 4095) * 3300  # Convert to millivolts
    digital_value = DIGITAL_PIN.value()
    print("Analog Voltage:", voltage, "mV", "| Digital State:", "Touched" if digital_value == 1 else "Not Touched")
    time.sleep(1)

This MicroPython script configures GPIO34 as an ADC input and GPIO15 as a digital input for the KY-036 sensor. It continuously reads the sensor values and prints the voltage and touch state every second.

Upload this code to your ESP32 using a MicroPython-compatible IDE, such as Thonny, uPyCraft, or tools like ampy.