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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallA PIC18-Q71 can demonstrate proximity metal sensing by exciting a parallel LC circuit and measuring how quickly its oscillation decays. The Microchip example uses the chip’s PWM, timers, operational amplifier, RC network, DAC and comparator to detect a changed ring-down, then signals the result with an LED. It is a proximity demonstration—not a validated search detector: Microchip does not publish detection depth, minimum target size or metal-identification accuracy for this design.
How the PIC18-Q71 metal-sensing demonstration works
The sensor is an inductor and capacitor connected in parallel. A pulse charges the capacitor and starts a brief oscillation in the LC circuit. Its resonant frequency is approximately f = 1 / (2π√(LC)), where L is inductance and C is capacitance. The excitation timing is selected in relation to that resonance; Microchip’s application note says the example sets the PWM period to half the resonant signal period.
When metal comes near the coil, the coil’s changing magnetic field induces eddy currents in the object. Those currents draw energy from the resonator, changing its amplitude and period and generally making its oscillation attenuate faster. The example detects a change in the envelope—the smoothed outline of the oscillation—relative to the no-metal baseline. Microchip notes that response varies with metal type and environmental conditions; that does not establish reliable identification of particular metals.
For the underlying design, see Microchip’s PIC18-Q71 application note and its maintained PIC18F56Q71 project.
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What each PIC18-Q71 peripheral does
The design divides the measurement into excitation, analog conditioning and timing. Microchip’s project description and PIC18-Q71 family information describe this arrangement:
- CCP1/PWM and Timer2: generate the excitation pulse that starts the LC ring-down.
- Parallel LC sensor: produces the damped oscillation whose response changes when metal is nearby.
- Integrated OPA and RC network: condition the signal and form its envelope; the maintained example describes the OPA in a peak-detect configuration.
- DAC and comparator: provide a reference threshold and detect when the envelope crosses it.
- Timer1 and GPIO: measure the interval from the envelope peak to the threshold crossing and drive an LED for visual feedback.
The elapsed time can indicate a change from the baseline, while changes in oscillation period can provide additional measurement information. The official materials do not give a distance calibration that converts either measurement into a reliable distance-to-target reading.
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Parts and software for the documented prototype
Microchip’s application-note component list specifies the following parts. The evaluation board and the sensor components are distinct items, not interchangeable names for one product.
| Item | Documented quantity or detail |
|---|---|
| PIC18F56Q71 microcontroller | One |
| Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards | One |
| PROTO Click board | One |
| 1N4148 diode | One |
| 1 kΩ resistor | Two |
| 2.2 nF capacitor | Two; the maintained project specifies 50 V parts |
| 10 μH inductor | One |
The maintained project identifies the PIC18F56Q71 Curiosity Nano Development Board as its test platform. Microchip’s family page describes the Curiosity Nano Evaluation Kit as a rapid-prototyping platform with an onboard programmer/debugger. Check the project page and current toolchain before building: its recorded software prerequisites are MPLAB X IDE v6.05 or newer, MPLAB XC8 v2.41 or newer, and PIC18F-Q Series Device Pack v1.16.368 or newer. These are the project’s stated version floors, not a guarantee that every later toolchain has been tested.
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Microchip lists family features such as a 12-bit differential ADC, configurable OPAs, high-speed comparators, DACs and signal-routing resources. Those are family-level capabilities; the detector description does not imply that the example uses every listed feature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the demonstration does—and does not—establish
The official material supports a proximity-sensing architecture and an LED indication, not a field-ready hobby detector specification. It provides no measured detection distance, coil dimensions, minimum target size, metal-discrimination accuracy, outdoor performance data or controlled environmental test. Do not infer a search range or dependable metal identity from the LED response.
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Repeatability also depends on the resonator and its surroundings. Microchip notes that humidity, temperature, nearby electric or magnetic fields, and component variation can shift resonance or affect the signal. A useful implementation therefore needs a stable no-metal baseline and attention to environmental changes, but the cited sources do not specify a calibration procedure or quantify how much drift to expect.
Microchip characterizes the application note as showing how to design a proximity metal detector using the PIC18-Q71 family’s integrated operational amplifier. That is a useful description of the project’s scope: it demonstrates how several on-chip peripherals can support a sensing chain, while leaving real-world range and discrimination performance unquantified.
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