As you may know that there are two different kinds of touch sensors, capacitive and resistive. It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each before selecting one for your application. Although cost may be a factor, ultimately, it is critical to choose the sensor that works best for the end use of the device.
A capacitive touch screen uses your finger as a method to produce a capacitive shift in the system and hence sense a touch (click here to read more about how capacitive sensors work).
A resistive touchscreen operates by pressure because you actually need to close the gap between the two circuit sides of the touchscreen. Often the gap is made with very fine dots printed on the bottom substrate acting as spacer between circuits. One layer has electrical resistance going from top to bottom (Y), while the other layer has electrical resistance from side to side (X), the point of contact is basically a resistance value in the X and Y direction that pinpoints the location.
Historically, one of the major advantages of a resistive touch screen was the ability to use anything on the screen, finger, stylus, gloved finger, etc., because resistive touch screens are based on pressure, anything can be used to close the gap and actuate the sensor. This is not necessarily the case anymore, the controller chip is the brains of the operation and some controller companies (think Alsentis) have mastered the science of programming the controller to recognize gloved finger touch on capacitive touch sensors. This now gives product engineers the option to choose the type of touch sensor that works best for the application!
Advantages of Resistive Touch screens
Disadvantages of Resistive Touch screens
Advantages of Capacitive Touch screens
Disadvantages of Capacitive Touch screens
It’s nice to have options but if you’re still wondering which type of touch sensor would be best for your product, our engineers are happy to help!
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