🫰ESP32 Touch Sensor with LED Indicator

Simple ESP32 project that uses a 🟢built-in touch pin (GPIO 2) to detect touch and lights an 🔴external LED (on GPIO 5) when the touch value drops below a defined threshold.

👀Features

• Uses ESP32's native touchRead() API (no external sensor needed)
• LED turns ON when touch is detected (value ≤ threshold)
• Real-time monitoring via Serial at 115200 baud
• Adjustable sensitivity via TOUCH_THRESHOLD variable

🧰Hardware Requirements

• ESP-WROOM-32 development board
• Red LED light
• 1 Female-Male Jumper Wire
• 2 Female-Female Jumper wires (To connect from the ESP-WROOM-32 to the LED)
• USB-A to USB-C Cable 1m(Data Transferring Cable)

➿Wiring

• Touch electrode: bare wire connected directly to GPIO 2 (P2)
• LED circuit:
  • LED anode ➡️ GPIO 5 🔴
  • LED cathode ➡️ GND 🟤

⭐ESP32 Touch Sensor Demo

Note: Tune TOUCH_THRESHOLD to match your setup. I used 350 for this project

🗺️Wiring Instructions:

Touch input

• Connect a jumper wire(female-male) directly to GPIO 2. This wire acts as the touch-sensitive electrode, no extra components needed. Touching the end of the wire with your finger decreases the touchRead value.

LED (with current-limiting resistor)

• Connect the LED anode (longer leg) ➡️ 🔴GPIO 5. Connect the LED cathode (shorter leg) ➡️ 🟤GND (any GND pin on the ESP32). This is a sourcing configuration (ESP32 HIGH = LED on)

🥇Finished Setup

🔄ArduinoIDE:

1. Upload the touch sensor sketch using Arduino IDE
2. Open Serial Monitor (115200 baud)
3. Touch the wire ➡️ LED lights up and you’ll see "TOUCH DETECTED" and an indication that the LED light has powered ON on the Serial Monitor

🤔Typical touchRead() Values

• Untouched: 60–120
• Touched: 20–60 (varies by board & finger contact)

⏯️Touch Demo Video and Serial Monitor Demonstration

The video link below will redirect you to the "Simple Electronics Tutorials" YouTube page

Check out the Demo on Youtube!

🚫Before touching the sensor

✔️After touching the sensor