# MPR121 Capacitive Touch Sensor on Raspberry Pi & BeagleBone Black ## Overview Danger: ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/021/914/medium800/sensors_DSC00759.jpg?1419366936) Reach out and touch someone, or some_thing_, with the MPR121 capacitive touch sensor and a Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone Black!  This breakout provides 12 capacitive touch inputs and all the logic to read them over a simple I2C communication bus.  For example you can make your own buttons, detect if someone touched a device, create a fun [plush game controller](../../../../plush-game-controller), or even a wacky devices like a [banana piano](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfjWdoW7pt4)! With the MPR121 python library you can now easily use the MPR121 capacitive touch sensor with a Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone Black.  Follow this guide to learn how to connect the MPR121 to a development board, install the python library, and start using the MPR121 with your own programs on the Pi or BeagleBone Black.  I'll even show you how to create a 'virtual keyboard' to send key presses when inputs are touch on a Raspberry Pi--great for making a fun controller kind of like the [Makey Makey](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1068)! Before you get started you'll want to be familiar the MPR121 breakout and connecting to your development board's Linux terminal.  Check out the following guides if you need a little more information: - [Adafruit MPR121 12-Key Capacitive Touch Sensor Tutorial](../../../adafruit-mpr121-12-key-capacitive-touch-sensor-breakout-tutorial) - [Adafruit Raspberry Pi Lesson 6: Using SSH](../../../adafruits-raspberry-pi-lesson-6-using-ssh/overview) or [SSH To BeagleBone Black Over USB](../../../ssh-to-beaglebone-black-over-usb/overview) In addition you'll want to make sure your Raspberry Pi is running the latest version of the [Raspbian](http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/) or [Occidentalis](../../../adafruit-raspberry-pi-educational-linux-distro/occidentalis-v0-dot-2) operating system, or your BeagleBone Black is running the latest [Debian](http://beagleboard.org/latest-images) operating system. When you're ready to start, continue on to learn what hardware you'll need and how to wire it together. - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/mpr121-capacitive-touch-sensor-on-raspberry-pi-and-beaglebone-black/hardware.md) ## Featured Products ### Adafruit 12-Key Capacitive Touch Sensor Breakout - MPR121 [Adafruit 12-Key Capacitive Touch Sensor Breakout - MPR121](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1982) Add lots of touch sensors to your next microcontroller project with this easy-to-use 12-channel capacitive touch sensor breakout board, starring the MPR121. This chip can handle up to 12 individual touchpads. The MPR121 has support for only I2C, which can be implemented with nearly... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1982) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1982/guides) ### Raspberry Pi Model B+ 512MB RAM [Raspberry Pi Model B+ 512MB RAM](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1914) OMG OMG OMG, did you hear? There's a Raspberry Pi called the Model B+ and check it out...more USB ports, more GPIO, better power supply, four mounting holes, less sticky-out SD card! Yep, that's right, the fantastic engineers at Raspberry Pi HQ have blessed us with a new design.... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1914) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1914/guides) ### BeagleBone Black Rev C - 4GB Flash - Pre-installed Debian [BeagleBone Black Rev C - 4GB Flash - Pre-installed Debian](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1876) Note: As of May 12, 2014 Adafruit is shipping Rev C. We have discontinued selling Rev B. There are no exchanges or "upgrades" for Rev B to Rev C. If you liked the BeagleBone Black Rev B, you will love the Rev C! The Rev C still has a blistering 1GHz processor and 512MB... No Longer Stocked [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1876) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1876/guides) ### Full Sized Premium Breadboard - 830 Tie Points [Full Sized Premium Breadboard - 830 Tie Points](https://www.adafruit.com/product/239) This is a 'full-size' premium quality breadboard, 830 tie points. Good for small and medium projects. It's 2.2" x 7" (5.5 cm x 17 cm) with a standard double-strip in the middle and two power rails on both sides. You can pull the power rails off easily to make the... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/239) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/239/guides) ### Premium Male/Male Jumper Wires - 20 x 6" (150mm) [Premium Male/Male Jumper Wires - 20 x 6" (150mm)](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1957) These Male/Male Jumper Wires are handy for making wire harnesses or jumpering between headers on PCB's. These premium jumper wires are 6" (150mm) long and come in a 'strip' of 20 (2 pieces of each of ten rainbow colors). They have 0.1" male header contacts on either... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1957) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1957/guides) ## Related Guides - [CircuitPython Hardware: MPR121 Capacitive Touch Breakout](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-hardware-mpr121-capacitive-touch-breakout.md) - [Bluetooth LE MIDI Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/bluetooth-le-midi-controller.md) - [I2C Addresses and Troublesome Chips](https://learn.adafruit.com/i2c-addresses.md) - [Raspberry Pi Zero NPR One Radio](https://learn.adafruit.com/raspberry-pi-zero-npr-one-radio.md) - [Capacitive Touch Drum Machine](https://learn.adafruit.com/capacitive-touch-drum-machine.md) - [Adafruit MPR121 12-Key Capacitive Touch Sensor Breakout Tutorial](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-mpr121-12-key-capacitive-touch-sensor-breakout-tutorial.md) - [Adafruit Capacitive Touch Sensor Breakouts](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-capacitive-touch-sensor-breakouts.md) - [Glowing Bottle Castle and Capacitive Touch Piano](https://learn.adafruit.com/glowing-bottle-castle-and-capacitive-touch-piano.md) - [Metal Inlay Capacitive Touch Buttons](https://learn.adafruit.com/metal-inlay-capacitive-touch-buttons.md) - [Bluetooth CLUE Robot Car using CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/bluetooth-clue-robot-car-using-circuitpython.md) - [Edge-Lit Tavern Sign with WLED - Control with WiFi or IR Remote](https://learn.adafruit.com/edge-lit-tavern-sign-with-wled-control-with-wifi-or-ir-remote.md) - [Automatic Naughty Cat Detector using Lobe](https://learn.adafruit.com/naughty-cat-detector-using-microsoft-lobe.md) - [Sensors in MakeCode](https://learn.adafruit.com/sensors-in-makecode.md) - [Using MPL3115A2 with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/using-mpl3115a2-with-circuitpython.md) - [Interpreting Environmental Sensor Data With Local "Edge" LLMs](https://learn.adafruit.com/interpreting-environmental-sensor-data-with-llms.md)