Keeping in touch with touchscreen technologies

The popularity of touchscreens is evident in the introduction of three new products featuring this technology. Offerings include a touch-panel computer from Advantech Corp. , a family of touchscreen displays from Three-Five Systems Inc. , and a monitor and a computer each with an analog resistive touchscreen from Ann Arbor Technologies . More information on the products is provided in the descriptions that follow.

TPC-60S from Advantech Corp ., Industrial Automation Group, is a Microsoft Windows CE-based5.7-in. QVGA LCD touch-panel computer for factory floor operation interface terminal applications. Features include an ultra-slim form factor and industrial-grade durability. Front panel is NEMA 4/IP65 compliant. Its plastic molded housing is lightweight and dissipates heat. Device uses a low-power, fanless ARM CPU running at 266 MHz. It comes with 64 Mbytes flash memory soldered on board and a CompactFlash slot for extra storage. PCMCIA slot can be fitted with an optional wireless LAN card. Unit is suitable for system control interfaces, such as those found in machine automation, intelligent transport systems, and food industries.

Family of touchscreen displays from Three-Five Systems Inc . is available as a line of standard products suited for high-transaction applications in industrial and retail environments. Displays and monitors are designed for HMIs, transaction kiosks, clean rooms, and more. Three sizes are offered—15-in., 17-in., and 19-in.—each with resistive or capacitive technology, in desktop, rack-mount, or panel-mount configurations. Introducing the product line, the company stressed that input technologies are moving from hardware-based buttons and keyboards to software-based touchscreen displays that emphasize simplicity for users and flexibility for design engineers.

Touchscreen monitors and computers from Ann Arbor Technologies are the latest additions to the company’s webLink Series. The 19M monitor, priced at $2,595, combines a large 19-in. SXGA TFT display with an analog resistive touchscreen to create an operator interface solution for manufacturing vertical industries. The 19F touchscreen computer offers a 1.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 architecture and large interface display. It includes a color TFT display, analog resistive touchscreen, and standard NEMA 4 aluminum bezel. The computer is priced at $4,395.

—Jeanine Katzel, senior editor, Control Engineering, jkatzel@reedbusiness.com

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