Touchscreens are Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) that we can use to command devices to complete different tasks for us.
We can manipulate the digital world with our fingers and without using any command-line tools.
We need a processor to complete the computing tasks for us, and peripheral devices let us input data for the processor to use and display output to us. For instance, a mouse, a touchpad, a keyboard, all these devices are input devices, and TFT displays and speakers are output devices.
We can use touchscreens both as input as well as output devices. Touchscreens are the direct manipulation tools to manipulate the digital world.
The History of Touchscreen Displays and Devices
In the late 1960s, the first touchscreen device was developed by E.A. Johnson in Malvern, UK. It was a capacitive type touchscreen which is commonly used in handheld devices today.
In 1974, Sam Hurst, a professor at University of Kentucky Research, in association with a company, Elographics came up with the first resistive type touch screen. In 1977, Elographics patented the resistive type touchscreen technology.
What are the Different types of Touchscreen Devices?
There are several different types of touchscreen monitors.
Let the one of the US touch screen manufacturers share with you the difference between the major different types of touchscreen displays such as capacitive, resistive, industrial and IP65.
faytech Capacitive Touchscreens for Industrial Applications
A capacitive touchscreen is made from glass with a transparent metallic coating.
Most handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets rely on capacitive touchscreens. Capacitive touchscreens can detect anything that holds an electric charge, such as your finger.
How do Capacitive Touchscreens work?
There are many different types of capacitive touchscreen displays, but the prototype is a thin sheet of glass that contains a grid of hair-thin lines of a conductive metal. Grid lines in one direction are called as the driving lines and provide a constant electric current.
Lines perpendicular to the grid lines are called the sensing lines, and they detect this electric current.
At every point where the driving lines and sensing lines cross each other, they create an electrostatic field registered as neutral by the processor of the device. Human bodies have a natural capacitance. They can conduct an electric current and store an electric charge.
When a finger touches the screen, it distorts the electrostatic field at that point.
The electrostatic field redistributes itself according to the electric charge. Capacitive touchscreens are highly accurate, and they can detect even the small changes. That’s why they can easily detect a tap, slide, long touch, pinch and multiple touches. They can’t work if you are wearing gloves or any non-conductive material.
Uses of Capacitive Touchscreens
Capacitive Touchscreens are widely used in tablets and smartphones as they don’t rely on pressure to detect the touch, and they are highly durable.
They produce an excellent picture quality as they use a transparent glass layer. In the late 2008 and early 2009, companies started releasing the capacitive touch smartphones in the market. Besides the consumer market, they work very well in defense applications, medical, automotive and other high-precision instruments.
faytech Resistive Touchscreens are Cost-Effective
A resistive touchscreen display is one the simplest and cost-effective touch screens available in the market. They are constructed with two layers, a flexible top layer, and a rigid bottom layer. They detect the pressure at the push point and register the precise location using a controller.
The top layer is made of a transparent flexible material such as polyethylene. The bottom layer is made with a sheet of glass.
Both the layers are thinly coated with a metal compound to conduct electricity. These layers are separated by tiny insulating dots called spacers to keep the screens apart and prevent the false touch signals.
When the screen is turned on, a small voltage is applied across the screen horizontally as well as vertically. When you push the touchscreen with anything such as your finger, it connects the two layers together. The touch changes the voltage and the small processor connected to the screen detects the location of the touch.
Where would a Resistive Touch Screen be used?
You need to push a little harder for your touch to get detected and they cannot recognize the multiple touches at the same time.
These touchscreens are durable and affordable, so they are widely used in credit card readers, many defense applications, points of sale, medical equipment, and consumer markets.
faytech Industrial Touchscreen Displays for Harsh Environments
When you need to run an application 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the screen is subjected to heavy use and harsh environments; a standard touchscreen is not suitable for that kind of use.
For instance, CNC machines are used in industrial environments where the touch screen monitors are always put to the test. An industrial touchscreen display is a durable and reliable touch screens that can withstand the harsh environment and abuse.
Besides the usual features of the standard touch screens, industrial touch screens come with many protective features.
Industrial touch screens come enclosed inside the protective rubber frame, and they are water and dust resistant.
For high productivity and easy time designing the 3d models, they have high accuracy and sensitivity. With a layer of high-quality tempered glass and anti-hitting touch foil, they go through a lot of testing before release.
Water or dust on the surface does not affect the touch effects and workers can use the screen without intervention.
What are Some Industrial Touch Screen Applications Used in Different Industries
Industrial Touchscreens are widely used in factories and other places of heavy abuse.
Companies like to invest in high-quality industrial touchscreens as entire units are controlled using them, and they cannot afford any downtime due to their failure.
faytech IP65 Touchscreen Displays
An IP65 touchscreen display is a rugged touch display guaranteed to meet specific industry standards.
IP stands for Ingress Protection in IP65.
It is an international system of rating an electronic device’s waterproof and dustproof capabilities. In IP 65 devices, the first digit, i.e., ‘6’ indicates the solid protection capabilities of the device. It is rated from 1 to 6.
- 1, is protection against the hand.
- 2, a finger
- 3, a screwdriver
- 4, against a wire. (Practically, all the consumer devices we use have a rating of at least 4.)
- At a score of 5, a device gets dust resistant, such as a beach.
- At 6, a device is completely dust resistant.
The last digit stands for the liquid protection, and it is rated from 1 to 8.
- At the rating of 1, the device is protected from water dropped vertically from above.
- At the rating of 2, the device is protected from water dropped at an angle of 15 degrees.
- At 3, it from 60 degrees from above.
- At the rating of 4, the device is protected from the splashes of water from all directions.
- At 5, it is protected from the jets of water.
- At 6, it is protected from strong jets of water.
- At the rating of 7, the device is water proof up to a meter.
- At the rating of 8, it is protected up to 3 meters.
A touchscreen display with an IP65 rating is completely dust proof.
It can withstand the jets of water and splashes from all directions. Many outdoor displays, industrial touch screens, and consumer displays come with a rating of IP65.
Contact Faytech – One of the Best Touchscreen Manufacturers
Touch screen technology is changing the world. It is changing how we operate the world around us, and entire life is now being brought at our fingertips.
At homes, offices, retailers, factories, touch screens, military, defense or medical, touch screen technology is useful everywhere.
Contact Faytech North America today to answer all your questions !