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Adafruit 12 x Capacitive Touch Shield for Arduino - MPR121

57 units available with a short lead time.

Express post shipping available (product has a short lead time)

The Adafruit Capacitive Touch Shield brings 12 channels of capacitive touch sensing to any Arduino using the MPR121 chip. Each sensor has a "figure 8" pad with holes designed for quick alligator clip connections — attach one end to the shield and the other to any conductive object like metal, fruit, or water-filled items to create instant touch interfaces.

The shield communicates over I2C (SCL and SDA), leaving most Arduino pins free for other tasks. For more permanent installations, you can solder directly to the pads instead of using alligator clips. The MPR121 handles all capacitive filtering internally with configurable sensitivity settings.

Key Features

  • 12 Touch Sensors – Independent capacitive touch inputs with built-in filtering
  • Alligator Clip Pads – "Figure 8" holes for quick, tool-free connections
  • MPR121 Chip – Same sensor as the breakout version with configurable sensitivity
  • I2C Interface – Uses only SCL and SDA pins
  • Arduino Shield Format – Plug-and-play with any Arduino board

Also Available

Ideal For

  • Interactive art installations and exhibits
  • Musical instruments (fruit drums, veggie keyboards)
  • Touch-reactive games and controllers
  • Educational projects exploring capacitive sensing

Package Contents

  • 1× Adafruit MPR121 Capacitive Touch Shield
  • 1× 36-pin header strip
Note: Arduino, alligator clips, and conductive objects not included. Soldering required to attach the header onto the shield PCB.

Specifications

  • Sensor Chip – MPR121
  • Touch Channels – 12
  • Interface – I2C
  • Form Factor – Arduino shield

The Adafruit 12 x Capacitive Touch Shield for Arduino - MPR121 appears in the following collections:

SKU AF-2024