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1. Do I need a special driver for my resistive touch monitor?
The same TouchWare software that is used with ClearTek product line is used for all TouchTek products.
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2. What effects do sunlight / UV have on the resistive product?
All resistive products will be affected by ultra-violet exposure. In the normal course of a resistive touchscreen’s life it will not typically be exposed to enough UV light to affect it. UV rays are typically filtered by the glass in windows which greatly reduces the amount of UV a sensor is exposed to, even if it’s in a sunny location.
Outdoor applications are another matter. The base polyester material which topsheets are constructed is affected by direct and prolonged exposure to UV rays. With prolonged exposure, the topsheets will yellow and will likely become brittle. For this reason, resistive technology should not be promoted in applications which will experience direct and prolonged exposure to the sun.
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3. What are the light transmission properties of the resistive product?
The flat resistive product has an average light transmissivity of 78% regardless of which topsheet finish (Polished, Ideal, Industrial) is selected. Curved sensors have an average transmissivity of 70%. Light transmissivity is measured at 550nm.
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4. Is the resistive product warranted for 5 yr. against wear?
TouchTek™ 5 wire Resistive sensors are warranted for 5 years against malfunction resulting from normal use. All resistive touchscreens will show wear over time in the form of scratches to the topsheet when in normal use. This type of aesthetic wear which occurs through normal use, which does not effect the operation of the touch system is not covered under the warranty.
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5. What concerns are there of harsh contaminates?
Resistive sensors can withstand a wide variety of contaminates for varying periods of time. A detailed list of these contaminates can be found in the TouchTek 5 Specification sheet.
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6. Does the topsheet reduce optical clarity? If so, by how much?
Optical clarity is reduced as the anti glare properties of a topsheet increase. The diffusion of light as a result of anti-glare finishes, diminishes the overall clarity of a touchscreen in relation to the weight of the etch.
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7. Can we use a capacitive controller with resistive touch systems?
Capacitive cased controller boards designed for use with capacitive sensors cannot be used with resistive sensors. Likewise capacitive sensors cannot be used with resistive controllers. The Excalibur chipset solution does allow our OEM customers to design a single controller circuit which can be used with either a resistive or capacitive touch sensor. The Excalibur circuit is switched between resistive and capacitive options using a jumper or some other type of switch.
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8. What is the life expectancy compared to capacitive?
Life expectancy is a function of both the environment in which the sensor resides and the durability of the touch sensor itself. All glass capacitive sensors are more durable than resistive sensors which have thin polyester topsheets. In the proper setting, a resistive touch solution can have an extremely long life. When placed in the wrong environment - unattended kiosks for example—resistive touch solutions will likely fail sooner than capacitive.
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9. Can I use a normal pen to touch the screen and does MicroTouch sell a specific "stylus"?
A normal ball point pen can be used to touch a resistive touchscreen. The repeated use of a sharp pointer such as a pen in a small area of a standard resistive touchscreen will likely cause premature visual wear of the touch sensor without affecting its actual touch performance. Occasional random use of a stylus will not adversely affect the screen. MicroTouch does not sell styli for use with resistive sensors. Cross and Pilot, both prominent manufacturers of pens, each have lines of styli for use with resistive devices.
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10. How does a 4-wire sensor differ in operation from a 5-wire resistive sensor?
In 4-wire technology the bottom substrate acts as the Y-axis measurement containing a 5 volt input electrode and a ground electrode. The outer membrane (the X-axis) also contains a 5 volt input electrode and a ground electrode. Since the outer membrane acts as the voltage gradient while the bottom substrate probes the voltage measurement, damage to the conductive coating will affect linearity and accuracy. This damage is caused by the continuous flexing of the membrane which over time will wear the uniform conductive coating layer.
MicroTouch 5-Wire resistive touchscreens utilize the conductive surface of the stable glass layer as the receptor for a current injected by the topsheet upon contact. If the topsheet becomes damaged, the sensor will still operate because the topsheet is only used to inject current regardless of the uniformity of its conductive coating.
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