Industrial displays equipped with capacitive panels are very often exposed to mechanical damage and vandalism (e-kiosks, cash registers, gaming machines, ATMs, vending machines and most outdoor applications). Thus, the problem of resistance to mechanical damage of this type of equipment becomes extremely important. In addition to the chassis, it is the touch panels that are on the “front line” so from them, above all, increased resistance to mechanical damage is required. PenMount (a division of AMT that manufactures dedicated touch panel controllers) has come up with a solution that focuses on handling different thicknesses of touch panel glass, allowing not only to reduce the likelihood of breaking the glass cover, but also to increase the durability of the entire device.
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As a rule of thumb, as the thickness of the glass cover increases, the quality of the touch signal that can be received by the controller decreases. PenMount has overcome technological difficulties to provide customers with the best solutions in this area. Thanks to excellent chip performance and the use of unique proprietary algorithms in the firmware, touch signal sensitivity has been increased, signal-to-noise ratio has been improved, and susceptibility to noise has been significantly reduced. It is thanks to these changes that it has been possible to increase the thickness of glass covers handled.
The combination of the PenMount controller together with the AMT capacitive panel and rich software ensures not only precise and convenient control of the touch signal, but also the achievement of absolutely unrivaled stability in device operation. There are currently three solutions based on different thicknesses of PCAP touch panel glass:
Standard firmware
Standard PenMount controller software that supports 1.1mm, 1.8mm and 2.8mm glass thicknesses for panel sizes from 3.5 “to 24”.
T-Model
This is a standard T-Model firmware that, when used in conjunction with PM1310 / PM1410 / PM1710 / PM1711 series controllers, can support 6.0mm thick glass for panel sizes ranging from 8.4″ to 24″.
Custom (customized) firmware
If the application requires 4.0mm or 5.0mm thick glass, a standard controller and customized firmware can be used. For glass requirements between 7.0 mm and 15 mm thick, it is recommended to use a standard controller in combination with a customized PCAP touch panel and specially adapted firmware.
The Real Case:
PenMount recently worked with a client on a kitchen equipment application. The PenMount PM1310 controller was used as the basis for the design, combined with a customized 21.5-inch capacitive sensor and 1.8mm thick glass. The customer additionally supplied a 5.0 mm thick mirror, which was laminated to this 21.5 inch panel achieving a total glass thickness of 7.0 mm. The customer was very pleased with the performance of the touch control in his application.
The described case was an additional inspiration for the company, as well as a confirmation that the path of “ruggedized touch solutions” (rugged touch solutions) is the most appropriate and future-oriented one.
On our site you will find the current offer of AMT panels and PenMount controllers. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.