ProtoCentral FDC2214 4-Channel Capacitance-to-Digital Converter Breakout (Qwiic)

Deciding between the FDC1004 and FDC2214? The FDC2214 is the higher-resolution, EMI-resistant choice (28-bit, LC-tank resonant sensing) for precision proximity, level and material measurement. For simpler touch and proximity work, the FDC1004 breakout may suit better — see our FDC1004 vs FDC2214 comparison.

The ProtoCentral FDC2214 Breakout brings Texas Instruments’ highest-resolution capacitance-to-digital converter to an easy-to-use, Qwiic-enabled board. The FDC2214 is a 4-channel, 28-bit capacitive-sensing front-end that measures the resonant frequency of an external LC tank — an EMI-resistant technique that delivers femtofarad-level resolution even in electrically noisy environments.

Because it senses changes in capacitance, the FDC2214 works with almost any conductive surface or material. Wave a hand near an electrode, watch liquid rise inside a tank, detect a button press through a panel, or measure displacement, humidity and material composition — all over a simple two-wire I²C interface.

Getting started: Install the ProtoCentral FDC2214 Arduino library — search for “ProtoCentral FDC2214 Capacitance” in the Arduino IDE Library Manager, or download it from GitHub — then run the bundled example to stream all four channels over I²C.

Open hardware: The complete KiCad design — schematic, PCB layout and the exported schematic PDF — lives in the FDC2214 hardware repository, released under the CERN-OHL-P v2 licence.

Features

• Texas Instruments FDC2214 — 4-channel, 28-bit capacitance-to-digital converter
• EMI-resistant LC-based measurement for stable readings in noisy environments
• Four onboard LC-tank inductors (L1–L4) — connect your own sensor electrodes to IN0–IN3
• Wide sensor-frequency range: 10 kHz to 10 MHz
• Two Qwiic / STEMMA QT connectors for solder-free daisy-chaining, plus 0.1″ breadboard headers
• Selectable I²C address (0x2A default / 0x2B) via onboard jumper
• Onboard regulator — runs from 3.3 V or 5 V; logic-level safe across 3.3–5 V
• INTB interrupt and SD (shutdown) pins broken out
• Open-source hardware (CERN-OHL-P v2)

Applications

• Proximity and gesture sensing
• Non-contact liquid-level sensing through a tank wall
• Material analysis, humidity and moisture sensing
• Capacitive buttons, sliders and touch panels
• Linear and rotational position / displacement sensing
• Flow-rate metering

Specifications

• Sensor: Texas Instruments FDC2214
• Channels: 4 (multiplexed)
• Resolution: 28-bit
• Sensor / reference frequency: up to 10 MHz
• Interface: I²C (up to 400 kHz), addresses 0x2A / 0x2B
• Supply: 3.3 V – 5 V (onboard regulator)
• Connectors: 2× Qwiic + 0.1″ headers