Today, almost anything can be done with just a touch of the finger. Touchscreens are becoming more common, as keyboards and remote controls begin to lose importance. But how do these touchscreens work? In this article I will explore the three different types of touch screen technology, with a specific focus on resistive touch panels as they are the most cost effective option.

The three basic systems
The three basic touch screen systems are resistive, capacitive, and surface acoustic wave. There are several differences in the way each system is built, as well as differences in their touch panel drivers. However, the most noticeable difference for the user is which stimulus will register as a touch on the screen. Resistive panels will register a touch from any object, because it is based solely on pressure. Capacitive screens will only register a conductive touch (i.e. a finger). The surface acoustic wave system records most stimuli except small, hard objects such as the tip of a ballpoint pen.

Resistive touch panels
Not all resistive touchscreens are designed equally. Many products require custom designed touch panels to meet your needs. However, the same general design technique is used on all resistive panels. The system is made up of different panels. The two most important panels in the system are electrically resistive layers that lie below the screen’s surface and face each other, with a thin gap between them. Two different types of layers can be used for these panels: Matrix, which is made of glass or plastic and is scratched with electrodes, or analog panels, which contain electrodes without a pattern. When any object touches the screen, these layers connect at the point of contact. At this point, the touch panel controller registers the touch and applies a voltage first to the opposite side of one layer, while the other layer senses the voltage at the point of contact and then to the edges at the top and bottom of the layer. another layer. Through this process, the touch panel controller can send position data to a CPU and interpret the exact touch location at the time of contact.

Where are they resistive touch panels use?
Resistive panels can be used almost anywhere: telephones, computers, aerospace equipment, medical equipment, etc. Due to their high resistance to liquids, resistive touchscreens are often found in restaurants and factories, where spills are likely to occur. They also have a cost advantage over the other touch panels, so they are often the preferred option when a touch screen is needed.

Custom-designed touch panels
Depending on the intended use of the touch screen, there are custom designed panels that will enhance the product. For example, in medical equipment such as MRIs, image clarity is the most important aspect of the screen. For this type of work, high transmission panels are ideal. However, on military equipment that is likely to be operated outdoors, low reflectance panels would be a much better solution. The resistive panel technology can even be custom engineered to support multi-touch input and can be manufactured with a film that reduces fingerprints, reflections and glare.

The most commonly used touch panels are made of film or glass. They can be manufactured in 4-, 5- and 8-wire configurations. 4- and 5-wire resistive touch systems are among the most popular technologies, often found in smartphones, due to their low-cost, easy-to-use electronic interface.

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