Different Types of Touch Screens

Touchscreens simplify a variety of tasks. Fill out an online form by tapping, sign documents using a touchscreen computer to avoid printing and scanning, and use a classroom interactive display to build community with collaborative projects or gamified learning.

Four-wire resistive technology uses the upper and lower layers of the touchscreen “sandwich” to determine X and Y coordinates. They are durable but prone to damage from outside elements.

IntelliTouch®

IntelliTouch surface acoustic wave pure glass touchscreen technology is the optical standard for public environments with a crystal clear image and scratch-resistant surface. The touchscreen has no overlays and no moving parts making it virtually impossible to wear out. It can be activated with finger, glove or stylus.

Elo’s state-of-the-art factory produces the display, touch sensor, controller and ASIC in-house resulting in a superior product at a competitive price. This is the best overall combination of quality and cost for any application including outdoor installations, as it resists harsh elements and provides palm rejection during signature capture.

The touchscreens are UL listed to UL 94HB, and have a rugged, industrial-grade design. They are available in various screen sizes and can be customized with a variety of mounting, bezel options, and interface solutions including wireless Tablet and PDA touch screens.

iS10 Ten Function Spa-Side Remote – Adds easy-to-use remote control of up to ten control circuits, thermostatic temperature display and spa-side operation. Available in Touch screen bisque colored faceplates for surface or recessed mounting. Optional mud box for recessed mounting also available.

Resistive

Resistive touchscreens are typically found on POS terminals, photocopiers and some laptop computers. They can be used with a finger, gloved finger or stylus, and work based on pressure to close the gap between circuit layers. They are more durable than capacitive screens and less sensitive to environmental conditions such as dust, rain or smudges. This makes resistive touch screens ideal for rugged and unstable environments.

Two sheets of metallic conductive material separate the inner and outer layers of a resistive touch screen. When a finger touches the screen, it causes the layers to come into contact, causing a change in resistance on both horizontal and vertical axes. Sensors detect this change and determine the coordinates of the touched point.

Benefits of resistive touch screens include their durability, visibility and low production cost. They are also less likely to be impacted by environmental conditions such as liquid spills, snow and surface contaminants. They are also less sensitive to stray stimuli, meaning that the touch screen will not react unintentionally.

Other benefits of resistive touchscreens include their low power consumption and low susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI & RFI). They also do not require a glass layer, which eliminates the risk of shattered glass. They can be made with a variety of cover lenses, including AG (anti-glare), AR (anti-reflective) and AF (anti-fingerprint). This allows the customer to choose the best solution for their application.

Infrared

Infrared (IR) is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum just above microwaves and below red visible light. It can transfer energy as both a wave and a particle, known as a photon. Like visible light, IR can be emitted or reflected by objects. However, unlike visible light, IR is invisible to the human eye.

IR is used to transmit information in many electronic devices including cell phones, radios and televisions. It is also used to operate touch screen displays because it can transmit data at a high speed and without consuming much power. However, IR is limited to the line of sight between transmitter and receiver, which means it can only control one device at a time and doesn’t work through glass, smoke, dust, haze or daylight.

IR sensors have various applications in a wide variety of industries including art restoration for tracking painting layers, in military activities for missile Touch screen detection and in healthcare for anesthesia. They can also be used in a variety of industrial settings including weather monitoring, oil and gas exploration, water analysis and more. IR sensor technology has been used in pain relief because it transfers heat to the body through its thermoreceptors, which our brains perceive as radiant energy.

Capacitive

Capacitive touchscreens use the capacitance of your finger to generate signals, unlike the resistive technology that depends on pressure. They have a lower power consumption than resistive touch screens and offer more accuracy. They can also detect multiple fingers and allow for custom gestures and sliding motions. This makes them perfect for rugged or unstable environments.

GTK offers both projected and surface capacitive touch screen solutions for your device. The more basic of the two, surface capacitance features thin voltage-conductive layers on one side of an insulator layer. This allows for a single conductive layer to function as a capacitor, with your finger acting as the dielectric when you touch the screen.

Projected capacitance displays feature a matrix of rows and columns of conductive material on one or two layers. When a touch is detected, the touch reduces the capacitance at a particular grid intersection. This information is picked up by the display’s microcontroller, which then interprets the signal and determines the coordinates of the touch point.

Most surface capacitive touch screens are not compatible with gloves because a tiny amount of electricity is passed between the finger and the device. However, some products are able to support the use of thin gloves. Regardless of the type of capacittive touchscreen you choose, it is important to keep it clean and sanitary. Using a soft cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol or a nonabrasive soap and water solution is the best way to keep your touch screen clean and free from fingerprints and other debris.