Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Types of Touch Screen Technology (continued...)

Touch screen refers to a computer display screen that permits a user to interact with the computer simply by touching pictures or words on the screen.

Types of touch screen technology:

Resistive: Resistive touch screen panels are covered by a layer of electrically conductive and resistive thin metal which brings a transformation in the electrical current that is registered as a touch event and sent to the controller for processing. They are usually highly cost effective and remain unaffected by outside elements like, air and water, but provide merely 75% clarity and the layer is vulnerable to sharp objects.

Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW): Surface Acoustic Wave is one of the most advanced touch screen technology but can be damaged by outside elements. They use ultrasonic waves that pass through the touch screen panel and in the process absorb a portion of the wave. These transformations in the ultrasonic waves record the position of the touch event and propel this information to the controller for processing.

Capacitive: Capacitive touch screen panels are covered with material that stores electrical charges. When the panel is touched, a marginal amount of charge is drawn to the point of contact. Circuits located at every corner of the panel measure the charge and pass the information to the controller for processing. These touch screens possess high clarity and stay unaffected by outside elements.

Infrared: There are two methods of using Infrared touch screen technology:

A.) Thermal stimulated changes of the surface resistance.
B.) An arrangement of vertical and horizontal IR sensors that identify the disruption of a modulated light beam in the vicinity of the surface in the screen.

IR touch screens possess the most resilient surfaces and are widely used in numerous military applications that need a touch panel display.

Dispersive Signal Technology: Dispersive Signal Technology uses sensors to identify the mechanical energy in the glass that takes place due to a touch. Intricate algorithms deduce the information and give us the exact position of the touch. The technology provides exceptional optical clarity and remains unaffected by dust and other outside elements.

Acoustic Pulse Recognition: Acoustic Pulse Recognition is a technological process that uses over two piezoelectric transducers positioned at similar places of the screen to convert the mechanical energy of a touch into an electronic signal. Thereafter, electronic signal is transformed into an audio file, and then judged against pre-existing audio profile for every position on the screen. This method is highly precise and doesn’t require a conductive object to activate it.

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