Water leaks are a common source of frustration in appliance design. Whether it’s a dishwasher, washing machine, or water heater, undetected leaks can lead to system failures, safety hazards, and costly repairs. And while liquid detection is critical, it’s often treated as an afterthought. Many designs rely on discrete sensors, analog components, and complex firmware that take up engineering time and valuable board space.
The MTCH9010 (064-4321) offers a better approach.
This single-chip liquid detection device is purpose-built for fast integration and dependable performance. It provides a complete sensing solution with no firmware required, a minimal bill of materials, and faster development cycles. Its compact 3x3 mm VQFN package helps simplify board layout, perfect for space-limited applications.
The MTCH9010 is also optimised for low-power operation, consuming less than 1 microamp in its lowest sleep configuration. That makes it ideal for always-on systems or products with strict power budgets.
Versatile Sensing for Any Application
The MTCH9010 supports both capacitive and conductive sensing modes in a single package, enabling a wide range of use cases:
- Capacitive Sensing: Ideal for detecting water through non-conductive surfaces like plastic or glass. This makes it perfect for water level monitoring inside appliances.
- Conductive Sensing: Uses direct contact to detect liquid presence. It works well for leak detection under appliances or in industrial equipment.
Whether you're detecting condensation in HVAC systems, tracking fluid levels in reservoirs, or integrating early leak warnings into smart home appliances, the MTCH9010 adapts to your design.
Hypothetical Use Case:
Picture a smart dishwasher that uses capacitive sensing to track internal water levels. During standby mode, if water rises unexpectedly, the MTCH9010 instantly flags the condition, helping the system take preventive action, like pausing operation or shutting down. There’s no firmware polling or ADC tuning, the detection is handled by the device itself.
Configurable Behaviour. Reliable Operation.
In addition to flexible sensing, the MTCH9010 provides multiple ways to tailor its behaviour to your application:
- Adjustable detection thresholds: Allow you to fine-tune sensitivity for different fluid types and environments.
- Selectable sleep intervals: Helps balance power consumption with responsiveness, especially in battery-operated systems.
- Heartbeat output: Gives a periodic signal confirming the device is active, simplifying diagnostics and health monitoring.
These built-in options give engineers the tools to tailor behaviour without needing a microcontroller or dedicated firmware, making your solution easier to validate and more robust in the field.
The MTCH9010 Evaluation Kit: From Concept to Prototype in Minutes
Liquid detection doesn’t have to start with a custom PCB. The MTCH9010 Evaluation Kit (064-4321) gives you everything needed to prototype in minutes:
- Onboard slide switches: Quickly configure the device without software. The switches let you explore different detection behaviours right on the board, no programming needed.
- Enhanced UART Configuration: For more advanced customisation, the UART interface enables access to a broader set of configuration options.
- Onboard capacitive pads and probe connectors: Test both proximity and direct-contact sensing out of the box.
- Compact layout: A minimal, self-contained design makes it easy to test at the bench or in the field without added complexity.
Whether you are working in a lab or at a customer site, this kit provides everything needed to go from concept to working prototype in minutes. No firmware development or custom hardware required.
Check out the detailed guide for the MTCH9010 Evaluation Kit here.
Built for Liquid Detection. No Compromises
Many solutions force you to choose between ease of integration, sensing flexibility, and system reliability. The MTCH9010 delivers all three.
With support for multiple sensing methods, ultra-low power consumption, and a tiny 3x3 mm footprint, this controller enables smarter liquid detection across appliances, industrial systems, and connected devices, without complex hardware or firmware overhead.
Whether you're creating a simple leak detector or a connected fluid monitoring system, the MTCH9010 helps you build it faster and with fewer tradeoffs.
Evaluation Kit in Action:
The GIF below shows the MTCH9010 Evaluation Kit in action. A water droplet is placed on the probe, instantly triggering the onboard DETECT LED to light up, demonstrating just how fast and simple liquid detection can be.
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