Touch screens have been one of the most innovative technological creations in recent years. Not only do they make getting information to your fingertips easier than ever, but they are very simple for anyone to use. 

Though we use touch screens all the time, many people don’t know how exactly they work; but we’re here to tell you! Many different technologies are being used and researched to create touch screens; the two most common are resistive and projected capacitive touch screens. Here’s what you need to know about these two touch screen types and how they work:

Resistive

When you touch a resistive touch screen, there are two electrically conductive layers, with spacers in between to keep them separated, that bend to touch one another when you push down. When you touch your finger, the electrical current running through changes and goes to where you’ve tapped, creating the touch capability and allowing the function that corresponds to that spot to be carried out. Resistive touch screens are consistent, but they can only handle one touch at a time, making them ideal for simple, quick use electronics.  

Projected Capacitive

Unlike resistive ones that work based on pressure, causing the change in electricity flow, projected capacitive touch screens can have the flow of electricity altered by anything touching it that holds an electrical charge. This includes human skin since we are composed of atoms that have positive and negative charges! 

Projected capacitive screens are made from conductive materials that store electrical charges, such as copper or indium tin oxide, to form a grid of transparent conductors. When a finger touches the screen, an electrical charge completes the circuit and leads to a voltage drop at the location of the touch, when the corresponding action to the spot is then applied.

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As the global leader in optical bonding, Fortec US supports you in all project phases – from the construction of the metal housing and procurement of specific parts to in-house development of controller boards and touchscreen integration. In need of a product, part, or have a project in mind? Contact us today at (631) 580-4360 or click here for more information.

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