As technology advances, the number of on-board touch displays has expanded dramatically. With rising consumer demand for information, the need for small and medium-sized on-board touch displays has grown more apparent. Today, there are fewer physical buttons on the car’s central control, and the screen is getting bigger.

So, to work with more intelligent systems, touchscreen technologies have evolved greatly. The top innovative touch solutions provider A D Metro has engineered linear correlating infrared (LCIR) optical touch technology to overcome the various challenges of touch displays in cars and make them more suitable and safe for use.

Cars usually remain exposed to different environments and weather conditions, like direct sunlight and extreme hot and cold temperatures. The bright sunlight coming through windows hit the display, making it almost impossible to read. Insufficient display contrast can be a risk to the safety of people seated in the car since it increases driver distraction. The challenges extend further to operability as touch displays in cars need to be responsive to touch with both gloved and bare fingers. Removing gloves to operate the display not only questions the feasibility but poses a major distraction while driving.

Keeping in mind the above challenges and to make car touch displays practical to work, A D Metro has come up with infrared optical linear correlating touch technology. Projected capacitive is generally considered the better solution for such interactive displays, but A D Metro’s Linear Correlating Infrared (LCIR) touch technology is preferred for car displays that require multi-touch but have difficulty integrating projected capacitive (PCAP).

There are several more features that make A D Metro’s patented LCIR technology ideal for on-board car displays.

Why LCIR is the Ideal Touch Screen Solution for Touch Displays in Cars?
The Linear Correlating Infrared (LCIR) touch panels are equipped with sensitive and precise single and two-touch functionalities that are ideal for navigation purposes. LCIR technology performs flawlessly even in harsh settings such as severe radio frequency interference (RFI) and intense sunlight interference, including strobing light.

A D Metro’s infrared optical linear correlating touch technology contributes to the avoidance of readability issues in cars. Integrating LCIR touch technology into car display systems provides the following:

• The LCIR touch sensor has no substrate, resulting in 100% optical clarity and maximum contrast.
• The display is 100% sunlight-resistant, allowing operation in all lighting situations.
• LCIR provides 100% EMI and RFI protection, ensuring no loss of touch response.
• Reliable two-touch capabilities for navigation.
• Compatible with gloves and a 5mm stylus.

Conclusion:
A D Metro’s Infrared Optical Linear Correlating Touch Technology is a prime choice for automotive applications since it is a reliable and durable touch system. Optical clarity with maximum contrast even in strobing sunlight, responsiveness, precision, and reliable two-touch functionality make this advanced version of IR-infrared touch screens an excellent choice to meet the increasing demand for touch displays in cars.

The post A D Metro’s Patented LCIR Touch Technology: Leveraging the Use of Touchscreens in Cars appeared first on A D Metro.

Controllers are the main electronic interface that acts as a connector between the touch sensor and the device. Basically, a controller receives touch commands from the sensor and translates them into X, and Y coordinates that the graphic user interface (GUI) of the device can decipher.

These advanced controllers elevate the functionality of standard touch solutions and help manufacturers streamline their inventory. This blog focuses on two-touch resistive controllers that impart multi-touch functionality to resistive touch screens.

Standard resistive touch screens with one-touch resistive touch controllers offer advantages of easy integration, low total system cost, full EMC immunity, the ability to work when dirty, wet, or even when immersed in salt water, and bare finger, thick glove, or stylus input.

But for applications that require functionality and performance of resistive touch sensors and demand multi-touch capability, A D Metro’s patented two-touch resistive controllers take the lead. This advanced controller compatibly works with 5-wire resistive sensors (standard or ULTRA) and delivers a unique two-touch capability enabling pinch, zoom, and rotate functions in applications often used in demanding environments that only resistive touch screens can withstand, such as outdoor marine and military applications.

A D Metro’s two-touch resistive controllers communicate using USB and are compatible with built-in touch drivers of most operating systems that have USB HID compatibility. The goal of using multi-touch technology is to replace standard mouse-click buttons with more intuitive gestures that are easier to learn and use than mouse clicks. Users who have complex procedures can benefit from multi-touch technology’s highly customizable and simple user interfaces.

Exploring A D Metro’s Two-Touch Resistive Controller:
The board design of two-touch resistive controllers is dimensionally similar to typical single-touch resistive controllers. Moreover, the connectors used in it are compatible with A D Metro’s current line of one-touch resistive controllers, allowing seamless and easy conversion to advanced two-touch controllers.

A D Metro’s patented two-touch resistive controller offers fast and smooth touch operations with 100 touch points per second for single touch and 70 touch points per second for two-touch. Integrating advanced two-touch controllers adds new capabilities to the reliable tried and tested 5-wire resistive touch sensors (standard or ULTRA) and enables full two-touch operation, ideal for pinch, zoom, rotate, and drag gestures.

Additional Advantages of Integrating Two-Touch Resistive Controllers:

Improved Control and Accuracy:

• Two-touch resistive controllers offer a higher degree of control and accuracy by manipulating digital information using multi-touch gestures that conventional HMI input methods i.e., mouse or keyboard, don’t allow.
• They also enable moving, resizing, or rotating 3D models with ease and precision, crucial to enhancing the functionality of applications.

Better Visual Efficiency:

• Users can smoothly move through an enormous volume of data without having to click on each item separately.
• The two-touch functionality makes it easier and faster to locate the data on display and eliminates the need for additional clicks.

Reduced Costs:

• A D Metro’s two-touch resistive controllers allow easy integration with low total system cost.
• They are much easier to install than traditional hardware and help organizations save money on installation fees.

Less Maintenance:

• Two-touch resistive controllers require less maintenance, allowing users to save time and money on application upkeep.
•  Multi-touch applications are easier to use, reducing the training expenses for organizations. This enables businesses to invest more in core goods rather than training.

Conclusion:
While one-touch resistive controllers remain a choice for standard resistive applications, A D Metro’s patented two-touch resistive controllers have enabled manufacturers to integrate multi-touch functionality to demanding resistive applications. With gestures like pinch, zoom, and rotate, the function and performance of 5-wire resistive touch sensors (standard or ULTRA) get enhanced to a greater extent.

The post A D Metro: Leading the Touchscreen Market with Two-Touch Resistive Controller appeared first on A D Metro.

With robust weatherproofing and durable glass surface, you can count on ULTRA-resistive touch screens to perform reliably and flawlessly in harsh environments. Designed to deliver superior durability and water and contaminant resistance, ULTRA stands as the perfect solution for a wide range of applications, including rugged, outdoor, and unattended kiosk applications.

Reliable Operations with Gloved Fingers & Stylus:
End users can operate a kiosk using bare fingers, gloved fingers, or a stylus. ULTRA-resistive touch screens are extremely durable, remaining unscratched even when a sharp object is used to operate them. Scratch resistance is an important quality factor for touch displays since it is impossible to ensure conscious handling of unattended kiosks. Also, kiosks standing in extreme weather cannot demand users to take off their gloves for operations. Therefore, ULTRA gets an edge over other touch screen technologies as it doesn’t only depend on bare fingers and can seamlessly function on commands given by gloved fingers.

Unaffected by Dust & Dirt:
Outdoor kiosks remain exposed to potential contamination like dust, dirt, chemicals, or spillages. With their capability of contaminant resistance, A D Metro’s ULTRA resistive touch screens operate reliably even with oil, grease, food, dirt, and dust on the screen. No amount of contaminant hurts the functionality of the kiosks, improving their longevity.

Waterproof Touch Displays:
One of the most remarkable features of ULTRA is its waterproof capabilities. With advanced sealing technology, ULTRA displays are impervious to water and can function even underwater. This feature allows touch screen kiosks to work even when exposed to moisture, making them ideal for situations where spills, rain, or excessive humidity are present.

Vandal Proof and Scratch Resistant:
Outdoor kiosks integrated with ULTRA touch sensor technology are impact-resistant and can be utilized in a variety of operational settings. They offer unprecedented reliability, which has been tested over 200 million touch operations. The hard glass surface is resistant to scratches and abrasion, thus increasing the durability of unattended kiosks.

Meeting Diverse Demands- Options for Enhancement:
A D Metro’s ULTRA resistive touch screens qualify for durability, waterproof capabilities, and exceptional touch performance in extreme weather conditions, generating an opportunity to enhance user experiences across a multitude of applications.

However, some applications have more demanding requirements. Therefore, to meet those needs- A D Metro provides select combinations with the following enhancement options.

• Alternative thicknesses of Borosilicate glass
• Anti-reflective (AR) and Hydrophobic coatings
• Anti-Glare (AG) coating
• Foam or adhesive mounting gaskets
• Chemically strengthened backer
• Polycarbonate substrate
• Graphic underlay / Printed laminations
• Port to diaphragm

To learn more and explore how ULTRA resistive touch sensor technology, visit the website.

The post Make Durable Outdoor Kiosks with A D Metro’s ULTRA-Resistive Touch Screens appeared first on A D Metro.

Major challenges in using touch screens in avionics is as follows:

• Light and glare: Sunlight and reflections on the screen can wash out information and make touch targets hard to see.
• Accidental inputs: Accidental touches due to turbulence or armrests can lead to unintended touch events.
• Physical durability: Touch screens exposed to extreme temperatures, vibrations, and changes in cabin pressure can impact the durability.

The Reliable Solution: A D Metro’s LCIR Touch Technology:
A D Metro has engineered and expanded its product line with Linear Correlating Infrared (LCIR) touch technology, which is an advanced IR-infrared touch screen designed to deliver highly responsive, precise, zero-force operation.

Linear Correlating Infrared (LCIR) touch screens have been developed, specifically for aviation applications to deal with the interference of intense sunlight hampering display viewing. LCIR touch sensor is mounted as a compact bezel that frames the display surface and does not use a glass substrate panel to mount the optics frame. It allows unhindered optical clarity, which is crucial in aviation.

The LCIR technology looks at a group of 5 light beams simultaneously as the group progresses across each plane of the screen. This allows for wider beam optics and eliminates the need for a glass panel, keeping narrow beam optics aligned. As a result, there’s complete ambient light immunity even if it is strobing sunlight or bright light or both.

LCIR touch screens use a linear correlation technique enabling communication through optical signals across multiple points on the display surface. It helps achieve excellent reliability and touch precision. A D Metro’s advanced IR-infrared touch screens also deliver two-touch performance by using optical scans at angles across the touch sensing area. This is an excellent feature for applications requiring pinch, zoom, and rotate operations. In LCIR, the touch input is not specific to human capacitance and is compatible to be used with gloved fingers and a 5mm stylus.

Unlike resistive touch screens, there are no moving parts or air gaps in LCIR. Thus, it offers consistent performance across temperature and pressure extremes while increasing the durability of the application. Moreover, it is 100% EMI and RFI immune, eliminating the risk of loss of touch response that is caused by RF interference.

LCIR touch systems consist of a sensor frame and a separate external controller board. This makes the touch frame compact and easy to integrate into most displays, whereas other frames are quite large with restricting frame heights and widths, which can make integration a challenge.

Conclusion:
A D Metro’s LCIR touch technology has revolutionized the aviation industry by making touchscreen a reliable and durable part of avionic instrument panels. Optical clarity with maximum contrast (even in strobing sunlight), responsiveness, precision, and reliable two-touch functionality are features making this advanced version of IR-infrared touch screens an excellent choice for avionics.

The post How AD Metro’s LCIR Touch Technology Overcomes the Challenges of Integrating Touch Screens in Avionics appeared first on A D Metro.

It is the controller that gives an edge to PCAP over other touchscreen options. Controllers are the brain ushering outstanding performance of PCAP touchscreens. They help decide the functionality of applications in terms of touch inputs, noise immunity, water resistance, and thick cover lenses.

The industry leader for innovative touch solutions- A D Metro offers two types of PCAP controllers, both able to meet different off-the-shelf requirements.

• Standard PCAP Controller
• ARGON PCAP Controller

Read on to learn about these controllers in detail.

Standard PCAP Controllers:

Excellent solution for mid-sized sensors, A D Metro’s standard PCAP controllers come with touch panel kits offering economical solutions to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators.

Each touch panel kit offers a high-quality glass-on-glass sensor bundled with a compact controller board. The common controller board addresses a range of sensor sizes and formats, having popular 2 by 51-pin FPC flex tail interconnects. Moreover, for sensors having a 68-pin FPC flex tail interconnect, an adapter is provided in the kit. This allows greater flexibility during the product development cycle of an application. Since many standard-size screen sensors and formats are available as commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions, the common control board can reduce the costs associated with the development of PCAP-based solutions as well as OEM Inventory.

However, the firmware in the standard PCAP controller must be programmed for the sensor size, orientation, and sensing parameters. These can be pre-programmed by A D Metro based on the specific needs of OEMs.

But if the priority is faster time-to-market, OEMs can opt for A D Metro’s patented ARGON PCAP controller. The ARGON is pre-programmed with firmware that adapts to any sensor and usage conditions, so touch parameters and conditions don’t need to be known or decided in advance.

ARGON PCAP Controllers:

ARGON is a smart controller that can automatically adapt to different sensor sizes and formats without requiring any tuning software for setup. This allows easy and swift configuration of PCAP touch sensors, making them suitable for usage in a variety of commercial and industrial applications.

During the automatic setup process, ARGON controllers probe the sensor size and intended sensor orientation. ARGON also automatically analyzes several other parameters such as noise environment and touch sensitivity for best performance.

Since no dedicated hardware drivers are required for configuration, the ARGON controller offers compatibility with any operating system that can be operated with a mouse. This way, it simplifies inventory for OEMs who want to use PCAP touch screens in their product offering with just one powerful controller able to manage all the sensor size requirements.

The ARGON controller is compatible with any PCAP sensor, having a 2 by 51-pin flex tail, generally available in sizes from 6” to 24”. ARGON is also suited to PCAP sensors having a 68-pin flex tail through an adaptor.

To Conclude:
While both ARGON and standard PCAP controllers are suitable for configuration in a variety of touch applications, ARGON becomes the preferred choice for OEMs who want to streamline their inventory and simplify field service not requiring specific firmware on standard PCAP controllers. Where standard PCAP controllers necessitate tuning using software to set orientation, the number of required touches, sensitivity, etc., A D Metro’s smart ARGON PCAP controllers eliminate these intricacies by automatically adapting to various sensor sizes, formats, and cover glasses.

The post How ARGON is Different from Standard PCAP Controllers appeared first on A D Metro.

The projections indicate interactive kiosks will rise at a compound annual growth rate of 6.3%, reaching 39.1 billion dollars by 2027. Clearly stating that more businesses intend to use touchscreen kiosks.

According to studies, the retail segment will dominate the market as more establishments implement touchscreen kiosks. As a result, interactive touchscreen kiosks will be installed in more malls, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Furthermore, because the majority of retail businesses utilize their touchscreen kiosks indoors, indoor touchscreen kiosks will dominate the industry in 2024.

As the leading manufacturer and supplier of innovative touchscreens, A D Metro is providing durable touchscreen solutions for both indoor and outdoor kiosk construction. More and more industries intend to integrate touchscreen in their operations. Their patented solutions like ULTRA, known as the industry’s most durable resistive touch screen sensor; and advanced Projected Capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen with ARGON controller simplify product development and accelerate time to market. Thus, contributing to the rising trend of touchscreen kiosks.

Digital kiosk technology will continue to grow in the market. As sectors like retail, healthcare, QSR, banking, entertainment, and hospitality, have already realized the benefits of touchscreen solutions, more firms look ahead to install them for their operations. The following sectors are projected to experience an increase in interactive digital kiosks for their operations.

Transport:
More stations will feature computerized kiosks that display travel schedules, sell tickets, and provide route information. In addition, gas stations will have outside interactive kiosks to aid with self-service and payment. To improve customer experience, outdoor touchscreen kiosks will be installed at electronic car charging stations.

Education:
Educational institutions will take the touchscreen solutions to the next level. They will employ interactive touchscreen kiosks to provide students with wayfinding directories. They will offer useful information such as upcoming events, room schedules, and class cancellations. Furthermore, students can access information from interactive digital kiosks located across their campuses.

Tourism:
In 2024, the number of interactive touchscreen kiosks will grow to assist the tourism sector in recovering from the past pandemic’s setback. Touchscreen kiosks in tourist areas will take visitors on a virtual tour of the city.
So, the travelers will be more educated about a city, how to get there, where to stay, and the attractions. As a result, travelers will find it easier to take a tour across an unknown city, enhancing their tour experience.

Leverage Digital Touchscreen Kiosks:
The application of advanced touchscreen solutions is expanding and is likely to keep pushing boundaries and penetrate every industry. As the demand for touchscreen kiosks soars high, the scope for profitability will rise for optical equipment manufacturers (OEMs). To gain an edge, OEMs can get advanced touchscreen solutions from A D Metro.

A D Metro’s patented innovations like ULTRA, Linear Correlating Infrared (LCIR), and ARGON Controller will give a boost to the industry in 2024 and beyond. OEMs will be able to bridge the gap between demand and supply of interactive touchscreen kiosks for various sectors.

The post Touchscreen Industry Trends to Dominate in 2024 appeared first on A D Metro.

In an effort to make PCAP touch sensors as easy to work with as Resistive Touch sensors, A D Metro- the expert in touch technology innovations- has engineered a unique ARGON PCAP controller with patented built-in adaption capability to significantly reduce PCAP integration requirements. This intelligent controller can automatically adapt to different sensors without requiring tuning software for setup, allowing the configuration of PCAP touch sensors without special tools or special training.

A D Metro’s ARGON PCAP controller senses and adapts to the connected (off-the-shelf) PCAP sensor size, format, orientation, and cover glass as well as the characteristics of detected touches and the unique background noise environment of the system, just at the press of a button and 4 screen touches. PCAP integration has never been so easy. Argon’s embedded, patented technology eliminates the need for software utilities or firmware updates to enable a PCAP touch system to operate seamlessly.

This innovative PCAP touchscreen controller delivers a responsive, zero-force, multi-touch experience that users generally look for high performance of touch applications. Projected capacitive touchscreens fitted with an ARGON controller allow adjustment of maximum concurrent touches (and more) through an in-built configuration. This is particularly useful for embedded applications with one more in-built feature that can report the level of background noise affecting the touch application.
The ARGON PCAP controller communicates directly to the USB HID interface, built into most operating systems. By connecting an appropriate cable, this controller is enabled to alternatively report touch locations using the I2C interface.

ARGON PCAP controller has many unique features that simplify the Projected Capacitive (PCAP) touch technology integration effort.

Features of ARGON PCAP Controller:

• It automatically senses USB, I2C, (or optionally RS232 (3.3V)) connection and reports touch coordinates accordingly.
• It auto-sets the best-performing touch sensitivity with the auto setup function.
• This innovative controller supports sensor sizes up to 24” with larger sizes in development.

Functional Benefits of ARGON PCAP Controller:
A D Metro has revolutionized the touchscreen industry through its variety of innovations; the ARGON PCAP controller is one of them.

• This controller helps manufacturers simplify the inventory required for the implementation of Projected Capacitive (PCAP) touch technology in their product offering. They need just one controller to handle all sensor size requirements. The ARGON controller automatically senses the channels and the size of the sensor, making it feasible for use with a wide range of applications.
• The easy integration feature of the ARGON controller is especially helpful for field servicing as manufacturers no longer need to keep matching controller configurations or track firmware loads to ensure the right controller is transported to the site.
• ARGON controller does not require any drivers to operate. Moreover, no programming is required to set the orientation, sensitivity, and number of touch points allowed for operation.

To know more about ARGON PCAP Controller, visit https://admetro.com/.

The post Features & Functional Benefits of ARGON PCAP Controller appeared first on A D Metro.

Traditional Infrared touch screens offer superior optical clarity while emitting negligible radio frequency (RF) emissions, however their functionality, and usage are impacted by strong or strobing sunlight. This LCIR offers the same optical and RF benefits but utilizes sophisticated optics and advanced signal processing to reliably deliver multi-touch functionality in applications that experience intense or strobing sunlight. LCIR technology has been developed, particularly, for the aviation and automotive industries, where intense sunlight interferes with display viewing.

LCIR touch sensor is mounted as a compact bezel that frames the display surface, providing unhindered optical clarity, which is very important in automotive and aviation. These sensors also deliver two-touch performance by using optical scans at angles across the touch-sensing area. This feature is especially, helpful for applications requiring pinch, zoom, and rotate operations.

A D Metro’s patented linear correlating touch technology comprises a sensor frame and controller board. There are different options for interfacing the controller board with the system including:

• USB – It interfaces with many operating systems without the need for a driver;
• RS-232 (low voltage) or I2C.

Important Features of A D Metro’s Linear Correlating Touch Technology:

• 100% EMI and RFI immunity;
• Reliable two-touch functionality;
• Glove and 5mm Stylus compatibility;
• 100% optical clarity/maximum contrast due to the absence of substrate;
• 100% sunlight immunity- It means an LCIR application can withstand any sunlight exposure, even strobing sunlight e.g. in helicopters;
• No moving parts or air gaps- It allows consistent performance across temperature and pressure extremes and offers a near-limitless life span.

Application of A D Metro’s LCIR Touch Screens:

• Advanced LCIR touch technology is highly useful for automotive, aviation, and medical applications, as well as other industries requiring ultra-reliable touch screen operation in brighter illuminated conditions.
• A D Metro’s LCIR touch technology is useful for vehicle applications as it eliminates risks of operator distraction due to glove removal and insufficient display contrast that may lead to accidents.
• The responsive and accurate single and two-touch features of the LCIR are ideal for navigation applications.

Conclusion:
By leveraging the benefits and features mentioned above, A D Metro’s linear correlating touch technology becomes ideal for applications that are hard to function with traditional infrared touch screens. LCIR touch technology also gets an edge over popular PCAP touch screens due to challenges like radio emission or severe design constraints involving display visibility or glove compatibility.

The post How A D Metro’s Linear Correlating Touch Technology Has Revolutionized the Touch Screen Industry? appeared first on A D Metro.

STEP 1: Connect PCAP Sensor to ARGON Controller:
Plug in the PCAP touch sensor to the ARGON controller before supplying power. Place both the touch sensor and the controller lying face-up. For the controller, two connectors to accept the sensor flex tail are on the top side. For the sensor, the copper electrical contacts at the tip of the flex tail should be facing down. This means the ‘A D Metro’ label on the flex tail is facing up.

Next, at the controller board, carefully raise the flaps at the rear of each flex tail connector vertically upward to open them. Avoid lifting these flaps by their corners or rotating them beyond 90 degrees (vertical) as this may damage the sensor. Plug the flex tails of the compatible PCAP touch sensor into the two side-by-side connectors. Make sure to insert each flex tail till it stops. Finally, rotate the connector flaps down to latch them.

STEP 2: Connect ARGON Controller to Host Computer via USB:
Connect USB to power up the ARGON controller. Plug one end of the cable into the white USB connector on the ARGON controller and the other end into a USB port on your host system.

STEP 3: Adapt to the Attached PCAP Sensor:
A simple, sequence adapts the ARGON controller to the attached PCAP touch sensor:

• Click the ARGON’s ‘learn’ button to trigger the adaption process. Release the button promptly. Wait a few seconds for the blue flashes to stop.
• When the ARGON’s green light turns on (with an occasional, subtle single blip), touch and hold the top-left quadrant of the sensor for a few seconds until the green light turns off.
• When the green light turns back on (with an occasional double blip), touch and hold the top-right quadrant of the sensor for a few seconds until the green light turns off.
• When the green light turns back on (with an occasional triple blip), touch and hold (either) one of the lower quadrants of the sensor for a few seconds until the green light turns off.
• When the green light turns back on (with an occasional quadruple blip), touch and hold the remaining lower quadrant of the sensor for a few seconds until the green light turns off.

The ARGON learns the sensor size and intended sensor orientation through the adaption process. It also analyzes four touches, the sensor’s installation, and the noise environment to optimize sensor sensitivity and touch threshold for best performance.

During the adaption process, simulate the real, intended operating conditions of the sensor. For example, if the cover glass is over the sensor in normal operation, the adaption process should be performed with the cover glass in place. If gloves are supposed to be worn for operations after the final setup, perform the adaption process wearing the proposed gloves.

This way, you will have the perfect setup of the ARGON PCAP controller, making the entire process of integration easier without any software.

The post Three Simple Steps to Set Up an ARGON PCAP Touch System appeared first on A D Metro.

What is IR-Infrared Touch Screen Technology?
An infrared touch screen is composed of an LCD monitor and an IR touch frame. The touch frame outfitted with LEDs and photodetectors, consists of an optical bezel or protective cover that enables LEDs to emit infrared beams but are invisible to the naked eye. This process creates an optical grid on the display’s surface, and during the touch event, it blocks some of the light beams, allowing photodetectors to detect these interruptions.

Given their reliability, accuracy, and durability, IR-Infrared Touch Screens are used for a variety of interactive applications, including retail, gaming, healthcare, and manufacturing. However, the traditional IR touch sensor technology also has a few limitations.

Limitations of Infrared Touch Screens

Susceptibility to from Bright Light Interference:
Ambient light can cause problems with infrared touch screens. Touch detection can be hampered by strong sources of infrared light, such as strobing sunlight or bright interior illumination.

Restricted Touch Detection in Some Conditions:
When a user operates a touch application using a stylus which is too narrow to interrupt light beams, the screen may become inactive. Styluses must be wide enough to break at least one of the light beams to trigger a touch event.

Power Consumption is Higher Than Other Touch Technologies:
Traditional infrared touch screens require more power than other touch screen technologies, such as capacitive or resistive. The demand for continuous infrared light emission quire often requires a more robust power supply.

Overcoming These Limitations with A D Metro’s LCIR Touch Technology:
Considering these limitations and challenges of using traditional infrared touch screens, A D Metro has engineered an advanced IR touch sensor known as linear correlating infrared (LCIR) touch technology. A D Metro’s patented linear correlating infrared (LCIR) touch technology delivers highly responsive, precise, glove-compatible, two-touch, zero-force operation.

The LCIR design improves over traditional infrared touch systems in several ways. Traditional infrared touch systems include rectangular sensor frames, LEDs, and photodetectors, optionally enclosed by a bezel or cover which also includes the controller interface. Whereas LCIR touch systems consist of a sensor frame and a separate external controller board. This makes the touch frame very compact and easy to integrate into most displays where other makes are quite large with restricting frame heights and widths which can make integration a challenge. Also, LCIR does not use a glass substrate panel to mount the optics frame onto to keep narrow beam optics used in standard IR optically aligned. Such a glass panel can interfere with the clarity and transmissivity of the display. If the display has contrast enhancements applied, this glass panel will greatly diminish the effectiveness of such enhancements like anti-reflective films or circular polarizers and produce a lot of reflectance and reduce transmissivity.

The linear correlation technology does not look at just one light beam at a time but look at a group of 5 simultaneously as the groups progress across each plane of the screen. This allows for wider beam optics and negates the need for a glass panel to keep narrow beam optics aligned so there is nothing between the user’s eyes and the display itself. This type of touch detection also provides complete ambient light immunity no matter if it’s strong sunlight or strobing light or both. The LCIR design provides two-touch performance by employing optical scans at different angles across the touch sensing area – ideal for pinch, zoom, and rotate actions.

The revolutionary LCIR solution from A D Metro is an excellent alternative for applications that demand multi-touch functionality but struggle to integrate projected capacitive (PCAP) touch sensors because of their operational limitations. Even in harsh settings like high radio frequency interference (RFI) and full sunlight interference, LCIR technology provides:

• 100% optical clarity/maximum contrast due to the absence of a substrate layer;
• 100% sunlight immunity, including strobing sunlight;
• Reliable two-touch functionality;
• Compatible with Gloved fingers and 5mm stylus touch input.

Conclusion:
A D Metro’s patented LCIR touch technology helps improve the usability of traditional IR-infrared touch screens for a variety of interactive applications. Most importantly, the LCIR touch screens are an excellent solution for defense, automotive, aviation, and medical applications and all markets where ultra-reliable touch screen function is critical.

The post Overcoming Limitations of Traditional Infrared Touch Screens with A D Metro’s LCIR Touch Technology appeared first on A D Metro.