What is Resistive Touch Screen & How Does It Work?

What Is a Resistive Touch Screen?

A resistive touch screen is a touch-sensitive computer display that responds to applied pressure. It’s made from two resistive-coated transparent sheets separated by a small air gap.

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How Do Resistive Touch Screens Work?

When contact is made with the surface of the touch screen, the two sheets are pressed together. Each sheet has horizontal and vertical conductive traces (also known as bus bars) that register the precise location of the touch, recognizing input from various objects such as fingers, stylus or palms. Resistive touch screens are considered a passive technology. This means they must have an internal power source and rely on electromagnetic energy transmitted from an RFID (radio-frequency identification) reader.

Components of a Resistive Touch Screen

Top Layer (Flexible Clear Film)

Function: The top layer is a clear, flexible film made of polyester or a similar material. It is the outermost layer, which users physically interact with.

Control: The top layer is responsible for detecting touch inputs. When pressure is applied, this layer deforms, causing it to make contact with the layer beneath.

Spacer Dots or Adhesive Spacer

Function: Spacer dots, or an adhesive spacer, separate the top and bottom layers, maintaining a small air gap between them when there is no pressure applied.

Control: The spacer ensures that the layers do not make contact when not pressed, preventing false touch signals.

Bottom Layer (Glass or Hard Plastic)

Function: The bottom layer is typically a rigid material such as glass or hard plastic.

Control: The bottom layer carries a resistive coating that registers touch points when the top layer is pressed against it. The resistive coating divides the layer into rows and columns, forming a grid for precise location detection.

Resistive Coating

Function: Both the top and bottom layers have a resistive coating, usually made of indium tin oxide (ITO).

Control: The resistive coating is conductive and facilitates the measurement of changes in electrical current when the top layer makes contact with the bottom layer. This change in resistance helps determine the touch location.

Bus Bars (Conductive Strips)

Function: Bus bars are conductive strips made of a transparent material, often positioned on the edges of the layers.

Control: The bus bars help transmit electrical signals from the resistive coating to the touch controller, facilitating communication between the touch screen and the device’s controller.

Touch Controller

Function: The touch controller is an electronic component that processes the touch input signals and translates them into digital data.

Control: The touch controller interprets the changes in resistance and converts them into X and Y coordinates, determining the precise location of the touch on the screen. It then sends this data to the device’s processor.

What Are the Different Types of Resistive Touch Screens?

There are two types of resistive touch screens:

1. Digital

   • A digital resistive touch screen operates through the application of pressure to the screen, and can be operated by the touch of a finger, stylus or even a fingernail onto the surface. This type of touch screen works on an X-Y matrix.

2. Analog

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   • Analog touch screens respond to continuous and variable pressure. They are designed for pen recognition applications and can offer higher resolutions.

What Are the Advantages of Resistive Touch Screens?

Very Cost-Effective

Resistive touch screen technology tends to be more cost-effective compared with some other touch screen technologies, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious applications. Some applications where resistive touch screens are used are ATM machines, vending machines and home appliances.

Easy to Integrate

The design simplicity and versatility of resistive touch screens make them easy to integrate into a design. Resistive touch screens are compatible with a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Android and others. They typically use standard interfaces, such as USB or serial connections. Most resistive touch screens come with drivers that are readily available and supported by major operating systems. These factors make integration easy, fast and efficient.

Can Be Operated with Numerous Touch Signals

Resistive touch screens are pressure-sensitive, allowing them to register varying levels of pressure applied to the screen by virtually any point of contact. This feature is especially useful in applications where the user might be wearing gloves that would hinder pushing a mechanical button.

Resistant to Dust, Moisture and Humidity

Resistive touch screens offer a degree of resistance to dust, moisture and humidity, but their level of protection can vary based on the specific design and construction of the touch screen. Since resistive touch screens have a continuous top layer, any moisture or contaminants need to enter on the edge or around the screen. A bezel that overlaps the edge of the screen with a gasket using quality adhesives or sealant will ensure a good seal. This is especially important in dusty, wet or dirty environments.

What Are the Drawbacks of Resistive Touch Screens?

Can Be Prone to Damage

The flexible layers of resistive touch screens are subject to wear and tear over time, especially in high-use environments or when rough or sharp objects are used to actuate the screen. Continuous pressure on the screen can lead to degradation and reduced sensitivity over-time. The top layer of a resistive touch screen is typically made of a flexible clear film, which can be susceptible to scratches. This vulnerability can affect the clarity of the display and compromise the touch screen’s functionality. Once the screen is damaged, there are no good ways to repair it to full functionality without replacing the entire screen.

Limited Contrast

The resistive touch screen is typically installed over a digital display panel. The presence of additional layers over the display may cause a reduction in contrast and brightness, affecting the overall visual experience. This limitation is more noticeable in outdoor settings where high visibility is crucial.

Does Not Support Multi-Touch

Traditional resistive touch screens typically support only single-touch input. They do not have the capability to recognize multiple touch points simultaneously, limiting their functionality in applications that benefit from multi-touch gestures. Multi-touch is important for interactive whiteboards, gaming consoles, smartphones and laptops.

Now that we know all about the resistive touch screen technology, let’s take a look at a popular alternative: Capacitive Touch Screens

What Is a Capacitive Touch Screen?

Capacitive touch screen panels share a visual resemblance with resistive touch screens. What sets them apart is their distinctive operation – they respond effortlessly to a gentle touch without requiring applied pressure. The mere touch of a finger induces a small current, creating a voltage drop that activates the screen. This unique mechanism not only ensures user comfort but also contributes to the screen’s longevity by minimizing physical stress.

The structure of capacitive touch screens involves two layers of glass, allowing for superior resolution and the ability to detect multiple touches simultaneously. This multi-touch capability enhances the user experience, providing advanced functionalities for various applications.

While the benefits of capacitive touch screens are evident, it’s worth noting that they typically come at a higher cost due to their intricate structure. However, the investment is often justified by the enhanced performance and durability they offer.

Multitouch capacitive screens, like those found on smartphones, have the capability to detect multiple points of contact simultaneously. This ability is enabled by the design which includes an invisible grid system. Each intersection on the grid is able to individually detect a conductive material, such as a fingertip, allowing for a precise multitouch interaction. .

The Bottom Line:

Understanding the subtle differences among touch screen technologies is crucial in determining the most suitable option for your needs.

Whether you require a digital resistive, analog resistive or capacitive touch screen, RSP stands ready to provide optimal solutions. Our commitment extends to designing and producing each touch screen panel to meet our customers’ specific requirements. Additionally, we offer customized integration solutions for membrane switches, silicone rubber keypads and displays, as well as plastic and metal enclosures, ensuring a seamless and tailored experience for your company.

To find out more about RSP’s high-quality custom touch screens and how they can help your business, contact us at 1-866-329-1804 or send us a message.

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Understanding the Most Popular Industrial Touchscreen Displays and How They Work

If you’re old enough to remember 1990, that’s the year MC Hammer released his signature, Grammy-nominated song “U Can’t Touch This.” Hammer may have looked great rapping in parachute pants but he wasn’t that great at prognosticating. Within 15 years people were indeed touching it . . . and they were about to touch it a whole lot more after 2007, once Apple released its groundbreaking iPhone, the first handheld device ever shipped with a multi-touch display. Today, the appetite for high-quality interactive displays has spawned a massive industry with sales by 2018 expected to reach $31.9 billion. Though the display-user interface is now ubiquitous and so intuitive that even infants seem to know how to swipe left and right, we sometimes forget how truly revolutionary and disruptive this technology was when it was introduced.

Resistive Touch Screen

Resistive touchscreens are the most common and cost effective. Applications best suited to this pressure-sensitive technology are industrial, human-machine interfaces with zero tolerance for error. Because the surface responds only to direct pressure, it means users are less likely to register a false touch. The display functions well in high-traffic or rugged environments where there’s moisture or even debris. And you can use it with gloves or a stylus, which makes it perfect for mining, petroleum, manufacturing, construction, and laboratory applications. Note the two types of resistive touchscreens: soft and hard surface. The soft display bears a flexible top layer of plastic ITO (indium tin oxide) film affixed over a layer of glass. In between is a crosshatch of electrode sensors that form a grid of X- and Y-axis touch points. The hard-surface display is similar but for a grid that’s sandwiched between two panes of glass, usually bezeled around the perimeter. It’s a cost-efficient technology but there are some downsides, too. Number one, the grid is an analog technology that drifts, requiring periodic recalibration. Second, the ITO film can wear and crack over time. And, finally, the screen can be difficult to read under bright light, where the image quality suffers.

Projected Capacitive Touch Screen

Unlike resistive touch, which relies on pressure, projected capacitive (PCAP) screens rely on shifting electrical charges instead of moving parts. If you’ve ever worn socks on carpeting in winter then touched a metal object and gotten a shock, you’ve experienced electrical capacitance. PCAP technology involves two conductive layers that create an electrostatic field, which transfers energy when contacted. One of the key benefits is its ability to process multiple touch points simultaneously. Another great thing is, by eliminating the layers of film and glass PCAP offers near-perfect optical clarity and performance. It’s one of the main reason so many smart phones use it. It tends to be more expensive than resistive touch but its optical clarity, power efficiency and aesthetics have made it the go-to technology for tablets and phones. Because its images are accurate and contrast ratios high, it’s also popular in medical imaging and other industries where an onscreen blotch or defect could lead to catastrophic results. An optional ‘optical bonding’ feature recommended by Premio, which eliminates air and moisture between the layers, makes for an even clearer and more rugged display that withstands shocks and vibrations. A downside is PCAP’s susceptibility to ‘noise’ generated by electromagnetic interference (EMI). Because the display must be finely calibrated to ignore nearby EMI noise, users have to operate PCAP with a finger rather than fingernail, gloved finger or stylus.

Surface Acoustic Wave Touch Screen

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch technology uses a transducer to record the absorption of ultrasonic waves transmitted across the display’s surface. Superior clarity and resolution make SAW ideal for in-door applications that require precision image quality as in devices used for research and monitoring. The technology primarily is used with smaller touchscreens of up to 32 inches. Other suitable in-door uses include ATMs and information kiosks. Key advantages include high-durability glass, superior optical clarity, and broader activation capabilities using finger, gloved-finger or soft-tip stylus. Vulnerabilities include moving liquids or condensation that produces false touches, solid stains that cause non-responsiveness until cleaned, and less-robust drag and draw capabilities.

Optical Infrared Touch Screen

Owing to its flexibility, optical infrared (IR) is another highly popular technology. Notably, IR is the only touchscreen that operates without a film or glass cover layer. Instead it relies on infrared light-emitting diodes projecting an invisible grid of beams that register touch wherever light is disrupted. It offers great clarity, is easy to calibrate, and lasts a long time, too, since there’s no flexible layer to degrade over time. The main drawback is the presence of a noticeable gap between flat panel and IR sensors. For this reason it’s less suited for industrial and highly trafficked applications where high-pressure dust, debris or liquid might harm the electronics inside the LCD panel. The optics are clearer than resistive or capacitive touch, it provides a rugged surface that manufacturers can bezel and seal against dust and moisture, and it supports multi-touch and dual-touch inputs. Produced mainly at sizes larger than 32 inches, IR technology is ideally suited for use with kiosks, outdoor installations, point-of-sale systems, factory automation, and other applications where bare fingers are impractical – from industrial and pharmaceutical environments to retail, hospitality, and service industries.

The Premio Touch

Although MC Hammer couldn’t have foreseen that U touching it would be so easy, he might’ve guessed that the technology behind it would be so sophisticated. Before investing in any industrial display, however, first we have to weigh the pros and cons of functionality, durability, aesthetics and cost. We also have to consider the time and effort required to maintain and calibrate the device so that it performs optimally in its particular industrial environment. Fortunately, Premio specializes in helping clients identify the right technology for the job. With a Class 10,000, dust-controlled clean room dedicated to touch-sensor lamination at our headquarters in Greater Los Angeles, Premio offers extensive expertise integrating and manufacturing award-winning, touch-enabled products for a broad range of industrial uses. In fact, we’ve been providing solutions for original equipment and design manufacturers for more than 28 years.

If you’re old enough to remember 1990, that’s the year MC Hammer released his signature, Grammy-nominated song “U Can’t Touch This.” Hammer may have looked great rapping in parachute pants but he wasn’t that great at prognosticating. Within 15 years people were indeed touching it . . . and they were about to touch it a whole lot more after 2007, once Apple released its groundbreaking iPhone, the first handheld device ever shipped with a multi-touch display. Today, the appetite for high-quality interactive displays has spawned a massive industry with sales by 2018 expected to reach $31.9 billion. Though the display-user interface is now ubiquitous and so intuitive that even infants seem to know how to swipe left and right, we sometimes forget how truly revolutionary and disruptive this technology was when it was introduced. Touch-device shipment and revenue will continue to rise year over year, peaking in 2019, according to market-data insight firm IHS DisplaySearch. Some touchscreens employ pressure sensors to detect contact, while some use visible or infrared light, and still others use sound waves. The broad range of environments and conditions under which the displays are deployed has required designers and manufacturers to get creative. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of touch technology, how they function, and what their advantages are in terms of reliability, durability, accuracy, size, number of touch points and, of course, cost.Resistive touchscreens are the most common and cost effective. Applications best suited to this pressure-sensitive technology are industrial, human-machine interfaces with zero tolerance for error. Because the surface responds only to direct pressure, it means users are less likely to register a false touch. The display functions well in high-traffic or rugged environments where there’s moisture or even debris. And you can use it with gloves or a stylus, which makes it perfect for mining, petroleum, manufacturing, construction, and laboratory applications. Note the two types of resistive touchscreens: soft and hard surface. The soft display bears a flexible top layer of plastic ITO (indium tin oxide) film affixed over a layer of glass. In between is a crosshatch of electrode sensors that form a grid of X- and Y-axis touch points. The hard-surface display is similar but for a grid that’s sandwiched between two panes of glass, usually bezeled around the perimeter. It’s a cost-efficient technology but there are some downsides, too. Number one, the grid is an analog technology that drifts, requiring periodic recalibration. Second, the ITO film can wear and crack over time. And, finally, the screen can be difficult to read under bright light, where the image quality suffers.Unlike resistive touch, which relies on pressure, projected capacitive (PCAP) screens rely on shifting electrical charges instead of moving parts. If you’ve ever worn socks on carpeting in winter then touched a metal object and gotten a shock, you’ve experienced electrical capacitance. PCAP technology involves two conductive layers that create an electrostatic field, which transfers energy when contacted. One of the key benefits is its ability to process multiple touch points simultaneously. Another great thing is, by eliminating the layers of film and glass PCAP offers near-perfect optical clarity and performance. It’s one of the main reason so many smart phones use it. It tends to be more expensive than resistive touch but its optical clarity, power efficiency and aesthetics have made it the go-to technology for tablets and phones. Because its images are accurate and contrast ratios high, it’s also popular in medical imaging and other industries where an onscreen blotch or defect could lead to catastrophic results. An optional ‘optical bonding’ feature recommended by Premio, which eliminates air and moisture between the layers, makes for an even clearer and more rugged display that withstands shocks and vibrations. A downside is PCAP’s susceptibility to ‘noise’ generated by electromagnetic interference (EMI). Because the display must be finely calibrated to ignore nearby EMI noise, users have to operate PCAP with a finger rather than fingernail, gloved finger or stylus.Surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch technology uses a transducer to record the absorption of ultrasonic waves transmitted across the display’s surface. Superior clarity and resolution make SAW ideal for in-door applications that require precision image quality as in devices used for research and monitoring. The technology primarily is used with smaller touchscreens of up to 32 inches. Other suitable in-door uses include ATMs and information kiosks. Key advantages include high-durability glass, superior optical clarity, and broader activation capabilities using finger, gloved-finger or soft-tip stylus. Vulnerabilities include moving liquids or condensation that produces false touches, solid stains that cause non-responsiveness until cleaned, and less-robust drag and draw capabilities.Owing to its flexibility, optical infrared (IR) is another highly popular technology. Notably, IR is the only touchscreen that operates without a film or glass cover layer. Instead it relies on infrared light-emitting diodes projecting an invisible grid of beams that register touch wherever light is disrupted. It offers great clarity, is easy to calibrate, and lasts a long time, too, since there’s no flexible layer to degrade over time. The main drawback is the presence of a noticeable gap between flat panel and IR sensors. For this reason it’s less suited for industrial and highly trafficked applications where high-pressure dust, debris or liquid might harm the electronics inside the LCD panel. The optics are clearer than resistive or capacitive touch, it provides a rugged surface that manufacturers can bezel and seal against dust and moisture, and it supports multi-touch and dual-touch inputs. Produced mainly at sizes larger than 32 inches, IR technology is ideally suited for use with kiosks, outdoor installations, point-of-sale systems, factory automation, and other applications where bare fingers are impractical – from industrial and pharmaceutical environments to retail, hospitality, and service industries. Although MC Hammer couldn’t have foreseen that U touching it would be so easy, he might’ve guessed that the technology behind it would be so sophisticated. Before investing in any industrial display, however, first we have to weigh the pros and cons of functionality, durability, aesthetics and cost. We also have to consider the time and effort required to maintain and calibrate the device so that it performs optimally in its particular industrial environment. Fortunately, Premio specializes in helping clients identify the right technology for the job. With a Class 10,000, dust-controlled clean room dedicated to touch-sensor lamination at our headquarters in Greater Los Angeles, Premio offers extensive expertise integrating and manufacturing award-winning, touch-enabled products for a broad range of industrial uses. In fact, we’ve been providing solutions for original equipment and design manufacturers for more than 28 years.

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