Increased design options for PCAP touch sensors that enhance the look and operation of a product

Review Display Systems ltd has recently increased its range of design options for engineers looking to utilise PCAP touch technology as the main operator input device for a system. Manufactured by AMT, two construction techniques are available, for screen sizes from 8.4 inch and above Glass- film-film-film (GFFF) technology is used and for smaller screens Glass-film-film. The design concept behind this is that the GFFF structure features an extra EMI shield under the bottom of the touch to reduce noise from the LCD. The lighter, thinner GFF structure is designed to support Chip-on –Flex controllers for mobile devices with limited space. GFFF allows 87% light transmission and GFF is slightly better at 91% both are an improvement over resistive screens. Both of the structures have glass as the surface layer, and options here include the thickness of the glass from 0.7mm creating a thin sandwich, ideal for handheld applications, up to 5mm for rugged applications. The standard finish for the top glass layer is clear/glossy however anti-glare options are also possible. Another feature of the glass is the option to have a décor glass finish where the border area is printed black with slightly rounded corners, these are idea for applications requiring a flush finish. Standard screen sizes here are 7 inch, 10.4 inch, 12.1 inch and 15.6 inch with more to follow. The controller can either be Chip on flex or on the larger panels a separate controller board is used. A full range of standard panels are available from 3.5 inch to 15.6 inch, standard operating temperature is –20 to +70 degrees Centigrade, this coupled with the unlimited touch life offers much better long term performance over a resistive solution. The other benefit of the PCAP technology is its ability to support single touch and dual-touch gesture recognition, common place in many of todays applications.