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TOUCHSCREEN TECHNOLOGY
Touchscreen Monitor Technology for Industrial LCD, High Brightness LCD and Digital Signage LCD
 
Questions & Answers
 
1. What is ELO Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Touch Screen Technology?
2. What is Infrared Touch Screen Display Size 42", 46", 47", 50", 55" and 63"?
3. What is Capacitive Touchscreens / 3M Microtouch Capacitive Touch Screen?
4. What is E-resistive TouchKit TouchScreen? (Controller User Manual)?
5. What is E-Turbotouch?
6. What is 3M Dispersive Signal Technology DST Touch Screen?
7. What is Projected Capacity Touchscreen?
 
Touch Screen Technology Comparison Chart
  Resistive Infrared Surface Acoustic Wave Capacitive
Touch resolution High High Average High
Clarity Average Good Good Good
Operation Finger or stylus Finger or stylus Finger or soft-tipped stylus Finger only
Durability Can be damaged by sharp objects Highly durable Susceptible to dirt and moisture Highly durable

1.What is ELO Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Touch Screen Technology?
Touch Screen Technology | Touch Screen Overview (Capacitive, Resistive and Saw Touch)
How it works | Reason to use | Datasheet

IntelliTouch Surface Wave Technology


IntelliTouch surface wave is the optical standard of touch. Its pure glass construction provides superior optical performance and makes it the most scratch-resistant technology available. It's nearly impossible to physically "wear out" this touchscreen. IntelliTouch is widely used in kiosk, gaming, and office automation applications and is available for both flat panel and CRT solutions.


IntelliTouch Benefits

  • Surface wave (also known as surface acoustic wave, or SAW) technology
  • Pure-glass touchscreens for superior image clarity, resolution, and light transmission
  • Durable, scratch-resistant glass surface - continues to work if scratched
  • Stable "drift-free" operation - for touch response that's always accurate
  • Finger, gloved hand, and soft stylus activation
  • Fast touch response
  • Sensitive touch response - recognizes location and amount of pressure applied
IntelliTouch Self-Service Applications
  • Point-of-information kiosks
  • Vending and ticket sales
  • Electronic catalogs
  • Gaming, lottery, and amusement
  • Public pay phones
  • Multimedia marketing
  • Banking/financial transactions
  • Industrial control rooms
  • Computer-based training

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Touchscreen Technology Overview (Capacitive, Resistive and SAW Touch)

Technology Landscape – Players Technology Landscape – Large Format
• Large Format Touch (> 10”)
– 3M Touch Systems
– EloTouch – Touch International
– EZTouch, & a few others
• Small Format Touch
– Many Asian OEMs
– Gunze, Higgstec, Nissha, etc.
• Capacitive
• Resistive Membrane (4,5 wire)
• Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW)
• Embedded Acoustic Wave
• Infra-red
• Dispersive Signal Technology
• Force Sensing / Feedback
Technology Landscape – Small Format
• Resistive
• Force Sensing / Feedback
• Limited IR
Capacitive Technology -- Stackup
Capacitive Technology -- Operation
Capacitive Technology -- Specifications
Accuracy 1% of screen dimension
Resolution 16K x 16K
Light Transmission <= 88% @ 550nm
Surface Treatments Etched, polished, Anti-Glare
Claimed Durability Scratch resistance Moh's 6.5
Abrasion resistance per
MIL-C-675C
Operating Temperature Range -15C to +70C
Ref: 3M Touch Published Technical Specifications
Capacitive -- Pros & Cons
• Pros
– One solid glass layer with protective overcoat
– Excellent accuracy & repeatability
– No moving parts
• Cons
– Two conductive layers reduces transmission slightly
– No gloves
– Fairly expensive
– Affected by EMI / Capacitive environment
Wire Resistive Technology -- Operation
Wire Resistive Operation
•Phase 1 – Apply voltage gradient to bottom and measure with top
• Phase 2 – Apply voltage gradient to topsheet and measure bottom
Wire Resistive Technology – Pros & Cons
• Pros
– Very inexpensive to produce
– Easy electronics
– Can be film on film
• Cons
– Relatively poor linearity
– Easily damaged
– Lowest light transmission
Wire Resistive Technology -- Operation
5-Wire Resistive -- Operation
5-Wire Resistive Specifications
Accuracy 2% of screen dimension
Resolution NA
Light Transmission <= 82% overall
Surface Treatments Anti-Glare Hardcoat
Claimed Durability > 4H per ASTM D3363-92a
Operating Temperature Range -20C to +50C
Ref: 3M Touch Published Technical Specifications
5 – Wire Resistive – Pros & Cons
• Pros
– More accurate than 4 wire
– More durable than 4 wire
– Less cost than Capacitive & SAW
• Cons
– Optics, better than 4 wire (but not much)
– Easily vandalized
– Somewhat complex electronics
SAW Technology -- Operation
SAW Technology -- Specifications
Accuracy 1% of screen dimension
Resolution 10K x 10K (approx.)
Light Transmission <= 92% overall
Surface Treatments Anti-Glare or Clear
Claimed Durability Mohs' hardness rating 7
Operating Temperature Range -20C to +50C
Ref: EloTouch Published Technical Specifications
SAW Technology – Pros & Cons Things to Consider
• Pros
– No conductive coatings, clear glass
– Responds to a variety of touch objects
– High repeatability & reliability
– Easy to clean & maintain
• Cons
– Adversely affected by humidity & dirt
– Expensive
– Hard to integrate
• Usage Model
– Frequent or Infrequent Dragging
– High or Low Speed Selections
– Hover
– (only for rapid response scenarios)
– Frequent use of single button pattern
• Environment
– Wide Temperature variations
– Wet use – Mistreatment & Vandalism
More Things To Consider
• Life Cycle Cost
• Aesthetics

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How an IntelliTouch/SecureTouch Touchscreen Works

Both IntelliTouch and SecureTouch are surface-wave touch technologies. Both have a glass overlay with transmitting and receiving piezoelectric transducers for both the X and Y axes. The touchscreen controller sends a five-megahertz electrical signal to the transmitting transducer, which converts the signal into ultrasonic waves within the glass. These waves are directed across the front surface of the touchscreen by an array of reflectors. Reflectors on the opposite side gather and direct the waves to the receiving transducer, which reconverts them into an electrical signal - digital map of the touchscreen surface.

When you touch the screen, you absorb a portion of the wave traveling across it. The received signal is then compared to the stored digital map, the change recognized, and a coordinate calculated. This process happens independently for both the X and Y axes. By measuring the amount of the signal that is absorbed, a Z-axis is also determined. The digitized coordinates are transmitted to the computer for processing.

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Reasons to Choose IntelliTouch Technology


IntelliTouch/SecureTouch Solutions for a Clear, Dependable Interface

IntelliTouch/SecureTouch touchscreens are unmatched for clarity and reliability, even in exposed public environments. Features and benefits include:

  • Pure-glass touchscreens for superior image clarity, resolution, and light transmission
  • Durable, scratch-resistant, and vandal-proof glass surfaces
  • Antiglare glass option
  • Stable, "drift-free" operation for touch response that's always accurate
  • Superior touchscreen response:
    • Fast - efficient algorithms and electronics
    • Sensitive - recognizes touch location and pressure
  • Finger, gloved hand, and soft stylus activation
  • Highest touchpoint density in the industry: 4096 x 4096
  • Flat and spherical touchscreen options for design flexibility
  • UL- and cUL-recognized touchscreens and controllers and TbV - approved components
  • Integrated touchmonitors that meet UL, cUL, FCC, and CE standards
  • The longest touchscreen warranty available: ten-year warranty for IntelliTouch/SecureTouch touchscreens and five-year warranty for related controllers.
SecureTouch Touchscreen Solutions for High-Threat Environments

Flat-screen SecureTouch products are made of extra-tough glass substrates that resist vandalism. These touchscreens incorporate the solid-glass and coating-free construction of Elo's proven IntelliTouch products. Features and benefits include:

  • Tempered, heat or chemically strengthened glass
  • Sizes from 10.4 to 19.0 inches
  • No coatings or overlays to wear, scratch, or tear
  • High impact resistance

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2.What is Infrared Touch Screen / Infrared Touchscreen Display ?

Benefits:

•  Low Profile, high resolution
•  No parallax
•  Highest clarity
•  High durability, vandal resistance, and safety
•  Sealable from contaminants Operates in extreme environments

Description

The new Infrared Touch Screen is a touch frame which is installed in front of the display screen. The frame is integrated with a printed circuit board which contains a line of IR-LEDs and photo transistors hidden behind the bezel of the touch frame. Each IR-LEDs and phone transistors are hidden behind the invisible infrared light. The bezel shields the parts from the operation environment while allowing the IR beams to pass through.

The Infrared Touch screen controller sequentially pulses LEDs to create a grid of IR light beams. When a user touches, the screen enters the grid by a stylus which can interrupt the IR light beams. The photo transistors from X and Y axes coordinates to the host.

Infrared Touch Screen Benefits

100% light transmission, on overlay covering the display screen (protected glass is optional) Almost all types of stylus materials can be used with Infrared Touch Screen, Infrared is the latest and most reliable touch screen technology.

The lifetime of the Infrared Touch Screen is much longer, with more stable operation.

I deal Applications

Indoor Kiosks, Ticketing Machines, Medial Instrumentation, Process Control Systems. ATMs, hospital operating Rooms, Commercial Transportation, Large Plasma Displays.

Specifications
MECHANICAL
Input Method Finger or gloved hand activation
ELECTRICAL
Position Accuracy Typical centroid accuracy 2.5mm
Resolution Touch point density is based on controller resolution of 16,384x16,384
Touch Activation Force No minimum touch activation force
Operating Voltage DC 5V
Power 0.6W (Current) 120mA at DC 5V
PANEL
Transmission 92%, Up to 100%
Response Time >10ms
Touch Intensity Over 60,000,000 Single point touch
Thickness of glass 3.2mm with anti-vandal
ENVIRONMENT
Temperature Operating -20¢X C to 85¢X C Storage -40¢X C to 85¢X C
Humidity Operating -20% to 85%
Storage 0-95%
Altitude Operating 3,000m
Seal Ability Can be sealed to meet NEMA4 and IP65 standard
Interface RS232(C)/USB
Multi monitor Split, Dual, multi monitor support
Drift No drift
Mouse click Right click function support
Available size Custom size for OCE available (46", 47", 50", 55", 63".)
Warranty 3 years
 
i-Tech Infrared Touch Screens markets a complete line of infrared touch screen and touch screen monitor products including Resistive,Infrared, Surface Acoustic Wave, SAW and Capacitive Touch Screen
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3. What is Capacitive Touchscreens / 3M Microtouch Capacitive Touch Screen?

3M Touch Systems offers two industry-standard touch technologies, analog capacitive and analog resistive, as well as a variety of touch LCD and CRT monitor products, and industrial computers, terminals and monitors.

Resistive touch screen LCD: 3M MicroTouch? 5-Wire Resistive Touch Screen. Touch Screen Displays, Touch Screen Monitors, Touch Screen LCD Flat Panels

Resistive touchscreens respond to the pressure of a finger, a fingernail, or a stylus. They typically comprise a glass or acrylic base that is coated with electrically conductive and resistive layers. The thin layers are separated by invisible separator dots. When operating, an electrical current is constantly flowing through the conductive material. In the absence of a touch, the separator dots prevent the conductive layer from making contact with the resistive layer. When pressure is applied to the screen the layers are pressed together, causing a change in the electrical current. This is detected by the touchscreen controller, which interprets it as a vertical/horizontal coordinate on the screen (x- and y-axes) and registers the appropriate touch event.

Resistive type touchscreens are generally the most affordable. Although clarity is less than with other touchscreen types, they're durable and able to withstand a variety of harsh environments. This makes them particularly suited for use in POS environments, restaurants, control/automation systems and medical applications.

Resistive screens use a flexible membrane with a coating of transparent metal oxide and a grid of spacers to locate the touch point. The metal oxide coating and spacers may reduce the picture quality and brightness. The key advantage of resistive touch technology is the wide range of pointing devices e.g., a gloved finger, finger nails, credit card pens, etc. that can be used with it. 

  Resistive Infrared Surface Acoustic Wave Capacitive
Touch resolution High High Average High
Clarity Average Good Good Good
Operation Finger or stylus Finger or stylus Finger or soft-tipped stylus Finger only
Durability Can be damaged by sharp objects Highly durable Susceptible to dirt and moisture Highly durable
Touchscreen Specifications
5-Wire Data Sheet
5-wire Specs-only Data Sheet
Resistive Touch Screens Overview Brochure
MicroTouch Resistive Design and Integration Guide

Capacitive Touchscreens: 3M MicroTouch? ClearTek? Capacitive Touchscreens: Touch Screen Displays, Touch Screen Monitors, Touch Screen LCD Flat Panels

Capacitive touchscreens consist of a glass panel with a capacitive (charge storing) material coating its surface. Unlike resistive touchscreens, where any object can create a touch, they require contact with a bare finger or conductive stylus. When the screen is touched by an appropriate conductive object, current from each corner of the touchscreen is drawn to the point of contact. This causes oscillator circuits located at corners of the screen to vary in frequency depending on where the screen was touched. The resultant frequency changes are measured to determine the x- and y- co-ordinates of the touch event. 

Capacitive type touchscreens are very durable, and have a high clarity. They are used in a wide range of applications, from restaurant and POS use to industrial controls and information kiosks.

Capacitive touchscreens sense electrical signals to determine the presence and location of your finger as it makes contact with the surface of the touch screen. Strengths of capacitive technology include a fast response time, durability and a tolerance for surface contamination. Grease, water and dirt will not interfere with the capacitive screen's speed, accuracy or resolution like they can with surface acoustic wave or infrared touchscreens. Unfortunately, this technology only works with a conductive, grounded pointing device (like a finger) so in environments where gloves are required this is not an appropriate solution

  Resistive Infrared Surface Acoustic Wave Capacitive
Touch resolution High High Average High
Clarity Average Good Good Good
Operation Finger or stylus Finger or stylus Finger or soft-tipped stylus Finger only
Durability Can be damaged by sharp objects Highly durable Susceptible to dirt and moisture Highly durable
Touchscreen Specifications
ClearTek Data Sheet
ClearTek Specs-only
ClearTek Options-only
ClearTek Profile Virtual Tour
Capacitive Touch Screens Overview

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4. E-resistive TouchKit TouchScreen Controller User Manual
E-resistive TouchKit TouchScreen Controller User Manual
For Windows 2000/XP  

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5. What is E-Turbotouch?
TR-6000 Six-Wire Resistive Touch Sensor
Narrow Border for Easy Integration
  eTurboTouch¡¦s TR-6000 six-wire resistive touch sensors, with its patented SCP (Silver Carbon Process) technology, deliver a touch response that is narrow border and noise elimination for easy integration and accuracy. The CT-600R(U) controller with chip-on-cable solution supports TR-6000 touch sensor to reduce the initial calibration time. TR-6000 sensor received certification from Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) for Windows XP platform in April 2003. TR-6000 touch sensor also offers a long touch life to withstand more than 35 million finger touches.
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6. What is 3M Dispersive Signal Technology DST Touch Screen?

MicroTouch DST Large Format Touch System

Fundamentally Different Touch for Interactive Signage

For most popular large-format touch technologies touch position is calculated when a finger interrupts an optical field, infrared light beams or acoustic waves on or above the surface of the touch screen substrate. Relying on these œactive surface properties makes these technologies susceptible to different types of interference or environmental limitations, which makes 3M's Dispersive Signal Technology (DST) a fundamentally different touch solution for large-format display applications.

The MicroTouch DST Touch System, based on 3M Dispersive Signal Technology, consists of a chemically-strengthened glass substrate with piezos mounted on each corner, mated to a sophisticated, dedicated controller. The DST Touch System determines the touch position by pinpointing the source of “bending waves created by finger or stylus contact within the glass substrate. This process of interpreting bending waves within the glass substrate helps eliminate traditional performance issues related to on-screen contaminants and surface damage, and provides fast, accurate touch attributes.

Dispersive Signal Technology Large Format Touch System

7. What is Projected Capacity Touchscreen?

TouchScreen Solutions is a specialist manufacturer of touchscreens, optical filters to enhance the performance of electronic displays, and transparent composites.

Touch sensor is based on projected capacitive technology which enables the device to sense through a protective screen in front of the display.

By utilising TouchScreen Solutions’s traditional lamination expertise, touchscreens are designed to provide the highest levels of light transmission, excellent readability and unsurpassed protection against a wide range of physical threats. The touchsacreens are accurate, highly dependable and have a rapid response time
  • Projected capacitive technology - unique to TouchScreen Solutions
  • Unsurpassed impact, vandal and scratch resistance
  • Ideal for public use and external applications
  • 13ms response time
  • No drift, no recalibration required
  • Works with gloved and ungloved finger
  • Unaffected by moisture and rain
  • Increased reliability and life expectancy

Projected Capacity Touchscreen

The electronic controls effectively divide the screen into pixel sized sensing cells, using microfine wires which are not visible on a powered display. These wires are connected to a controller board, and an oscillation frequency is established for each wire. Touching the glass causes a change in the frequency of the wires at that particular point, the position of which is calculated and identified by the controller. Unlike other capacitive systems where the operator touches the actual conducting surface of the sensing panel, the active component of the sensor can be embedded up to 25mm from the touch surface ensuring long product life and stability.

The touchscreen can be supplied with the options of anti¬glare or anti-reflection coatings, thermal toughening or chemical strengthening and privacy or contrast enhancement filters. The front glass of the touchscreen acts as a dielectric and enhances the capacitance of the touchscreen.

The driver software allows the touchscreen to interface with the host computer’s operating system by emulating the behaviour of a computer “mouse” and translates taps on the touchscreen surface into mouse clicks.

Touchscreen is proven to meet today’s demanding requirements for ATM’s, web phones, ticket machines, medical displays, industrial displays, pay-at-the-pump gas machines, and interactive kiosk systems. The touchscreen is durable and dependable, its construction protects against damage caused by moisture, heat and even vandalism.


Specification
The touchscreen comprises a laminated glass sensor, which encompasses the sensing medium, and the control card which connects to the communications port of the computer.
Detection Method
Dynamic capacitance using horizontal and vertical 10 micron diameter wires.
Power Requirements
Typically 5mA at 6 to 12 volts which is provided by RS232 port, USB or external source.
Lead and Connector
Female D9 serial connector on a 3 metre long, 3 wire, lead. Maximum length of lead - 10 metres. Power supply components in connection -2 diodes, 1 resistor and 1 capacitor .
Operating Temperature
- 35 o C to + 65 o C
Humidity
0 to 90% RH @ 40 C. Unaffected by condensation.
Speed of Response
13msec through 4mm thick glass.
Durability
Unsurpassed vandal and shock resistance.
Resolution
Less than 1mm.
Position Accuracy
Less than 1.5% of diagonal error within the recommended viewing area.
Sensitivity
Adjustable by software. Maximum thickness 20mm from the sensor to the touch surface
What it Detects
Bare and gloved fingers.

Resistance to Contamination
Unaffected by harsh cleaning fluids, solvents, grease and dirt
Light Transmission
88% through standard ZYTOUCH® .
Immunity to Damage
Protected by glass - sensing media is not touched by the operator. No moving parts.
Stability
Use of fixed wires ensures no drift with time.
Glass Options
Clear, anti-glare, toughened, high transmission.

MTBF (Sensor)
Excellent, no known wear-out mechanism.
MTBF (Controller)
In excess of 1 million hours - Bellcore TR332
Regulatory
Controller will be compliant with CE and UL when installed in system.
Emissions
Will pass FCC Class B when installed in system
Sealability
Ability to be NEMA 12 or NEMA 4 compliant.
Software provided
Simple calibration and set-up with Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP and Linux. Mouse emulation with Select on Touch, Select on Dwell, Select on Release and Drag and Drop.

 

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High Quality Parts
Our company uses only the best, using only High Quality parts along with components in USA or imported from Korea, Taiwan and Germany , for quality that you can trust!

Customer Service
Our customer service reps are here to help you with your Outdoor LCD sign. From general questions to technical support, we leave you feeling completely satisfied.

US Manufactured
Our Outdoor LCD Signs are assembled, tested and shipped from our very own factory in USA, giving us the ability to customize signs to your needs.

 
APPLICATION
 
Public Information Mass Transportation School and University ThemePark and NationalPark Ski Resort