In, out, and about HMI: LED drives, alphanumeric displays, surface-wave touchscreens, multifunction keyboards

Among the new HMI-related products making their way to market this month are two white LED drivers, a six-in-one visual display/performance management tool, a 31-in. surface-wave touchscreen, and a compact-size mulitifunctional keyboard.

By Control Engineering Staff July 14, 2005

Two white LED drivers from Vishay Intertechnology provide efficient, controlled brightness for portable electronics.

Among the new HMI-related products making their way to market this month are two white LED drivers, a six-in-one visual display/performance management tool, a 31-in. surface-wave touchscreen, and a compact-size mulitifunctional keyboard. Details and links to more information follow. Two white LED drivers from Vishay Intertechnology are said to deliver efficiency of up to 90% during operation in compact handheld and battery-operated electronics. SiP12401 boost controller and SiP12501 boost converter are reportedly optimized to provide efficient, controlled brightness in applications including white LED backlighting for LCDs in portable electronic devices, including cell phones and digital cameras.

The SiP12401 boost controller integrated circuit (IC) uses double-cell HiMH or alkaline and LI-ion batteries to drive white LEDs connected in series for uniformly bright backlighting without the need for ballast resistors. It supports input voltage range of 1.8-5.0 V. Designed to drive white LEDs connected in parallel, the SiP12501 is a boost converter IC for single- or double-cell NiMH or alkaline battery packs. An internal low-threshold power MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) lets the device start up with a low-battery voltage of 0.65 V. The two LED drivers come in lead-free 6-pin PowerPak MLP33 packages and are rated for operation over–40 to 85 °Celsius.

XL800 alphanumeric display and performance management tool from Vorne Industries features ultra-bright low-power LEDs.

XL800 bolt-on production monitor from Vorne Industries Inc . delivers real-time data across the enterprise. “Six-in-one” product combines a large-area visual display, production monitor, expandable I/O block, multiple channel communication hub, program executioner, and a data warehouse. Easy-to-install device delivers over 100 key performance indicators to front-line employees and managers. Display and performance management tool features ultra-bright low-power LEDs, 12 shades and colors, ready-to-use industrial graphics library, 32 programmable setpoints, 10/100 Ethernet, RS-232, and RS-485 ports, six programmable high-speed inputs, and more.

A 32-in. surface-wave touchscreen is the latest addition to the Elo TouchSystems family of large touch sensors.

32-in. surface-wave touchscreen is the latest addition to the Elo TouchSystems family of large touch sensors. IntelliTouch device joins the recently announced 30-in. unit and is available for a variety of applications, including point-of-information kiosk displays and interactive digital signage for industrial and medical uses.

IntelliTouch surface-wave technology offers high light transmission—92%—and is composed of pure glass with no plastic or metallic coatings. The device features 4,095-by-4,095-touchpoint resolution for smaller touch targets and fast touch response.

SPOS Series multifunction keyboards from Cherry Electrical Products operate with Microsoft’s new Windows Embedded for point-of-service software platform.

SPOS Series multifunction keyboards from Cherry Electrical Products feature a magnetic card reader and enhanced key layout for point-of-service applications in a package with a 30% smaller footprint than conventional full-size models.

Programmable units provide a full QWERTY key layout in a compact 14-in. form factor. Plug-and-play configuration allows for quick set-up and program configuration. Keyboards are available with or without a touchpad and operate with the new Microsoft Windows Embedded for point-of-service software platform. Shipping begins mid-summer.

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