IN Brief:
- Azoteq’s IQS39x family combines haptic drive with capacitive or inductive sensing options.
- The devices support sealed interfaces where mechanical buttons are being replaced by solid surfaces.
- Haptic controls are gaining ground as products require better ingress protection, cleanability, durability, and tactile feedback.
Azoteq haptic and sensing ICs will be shown by Astute at Hardware Pioneers Max 2026, with the IQS39x family targeting solid-surface controls that retain the feel of a physical button.
The devices are built for interfaces where mechanical switches are being replaced by sealed surfaces, including industrial controls, medical devices, appliances, wearables, and hidden-until-lit panels. By combining sensing and tactile feedback, the ICs allow designers to remove switch openings from an enclosure without removing the confirmation that an input has been registered.
The IQS39x family combines capacitive or inductive sensing with an integrated H-bridge driver for linear resonant actuator motors. Bringing those functions together reduces the amount of external circuitry needed to create a haptic control and helps fit tactile feedback into compact user-interface designs.
Azoteq’s ProxFusion architecture supports multiple sensing approaches, while closed-loop auto-resonance tracking is used to keep vibration strength consistent as actuator behaviour changes with temperature, ageing, or mounting conditions. Low-power operation with wake-on-touch behaviour also makes the devices suitable for battery-powered products and interfaces that spend most of their time in standby.
Package size has been kept small, with devices available in packages down to 2mm × 2mm. The IQS391 and IQS392 are haptic driver devices, while the IQS396 and IQS397 combine haptic drivers with a single capacitive or inductive sensing channel. The family can also be used alongside other sensing technologies, including Hall-based encoders such as the IQS326, to support rotary controls, scroll wheels, and other input mechanisms.
Hardware Pioneers Max takes place at ExCeL London on 10–11 June 2026. Astute is using the event to demonstrate how the devices respond through solid overlays and how interface performance changes with material choice, actuator mounting, power budget, and environmental exposure.
Sealed control surfaces are becoming more common as products are pushed into harsher operating conditions and more demanding hygiene regimes. Industrial equipment often has to deal with moisture, dust, oils, cleaning agents, and repeated use, while medical electronics place additional pressure on surface cleanability and enclosure integrity. Removing mechanical openings can improve durability, but flat controls can also make equipment harder to use if the interface gives no physical response.
Haptic feedback addresses that gap by restoring a tactile cue without requiring a moving button cap. The design challenge is that perceived feel depends on the whole mechanical and electrical system: actuator type, mounting stiffness, surface material, enclosure geometry, waveform tuning, sensing threshold, and available power all influence the final response.
Integrating haptic drive and sensing into a compact IC gives engineers a more repeatable basis for sealed controls, particularly where the same product family may need different overlays, housings, or enclosure ratings. It also reduces the amount of discrete circuitry needed around the actuator, which is useful in small panels, wearable products, and tightly packed industrial interfaces.
Mechanical buttons are not disappearing because tactile feedback has lost value. They are being replaced where ingress protection, cleanability, product styling, and manufacturing constraints make sealed surfaces preferable. Components such as the IQS39x family allow those surfaces to remain usable by adding controlled feedback at the point of touch.
