Smart Touch | Infrared vs Projected Capacitive Touch Screen

In a more competitive worldwide market and with the growth of E-commerce, capturing the attention of prospective clients is more difficult than ever before — let alone enticing them to take a chance on your business.

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So, how can brick-and-mortar stores provide a distinct shopping experience in the internet age? With the assistance of digital signage, of course!

It will not only catch the eye of every passer-by, but it will also offer your brand a fresh and current appearance appropriate for the new age of retail. These are some of the primary advantages of incorporating digital signage in the exact location of your shop.

But did you realize that there are numerous distinct types of digital signage? One of the most popular ones is smart touch technology.

Touch screens are becoming increasingly prevalent in our daily lives: mobile phones, ATMs, kiosks, ticket vending machines, and other devices all employ touch panels to allow users to connect with a computer or device without using a keyboard or mouse.

There are two main types of touch screen technologies. To know which one is right for your business, we have to make the necessary comparisons.

It’s infrared vs projected capacitive touch screens! Let us be the first to tell you, there’s not going to be a champion as both have their own strengths and drawbacks.

If you want to learn more about the type of innovation taking place in the realm of smart touch and automation, keep reading.

But First, What is Smart Touch?

Smart Touch is REV Interactive’s touch screen brand. The Smart Touch range of touch screens by Rev Interactive have been in the works for half a decade now.

These touch screens are interactive and equipped with Multi-touch solutions. As we mentioned, they are based on two distinct technologies: Projected Capacitive (PCAP) and Infrared (IR).

A touchscreen may be defined as an input and output device that is generally stacked on top of an electric visual display system and is capable of processing information. It allows users to enter or control data and information with a single or many touches with a specific stylus or a finger.

Certain touch screens require the use of ordinary or particularly coated gloves to work, whilst others merely demand the use of a specific pen or stylus.

Users may also modify what is displayed depending on the kind of touch screen. For instance, they might increase the text font size using a zooming option.

The touch screen technologies, such as kiosk touch screens, allow consumers to interact directly with what is displayed, removing the need for the touchpad, mouse, or other similar devices.

Types of Smart Touch Solutions in Malaysia

There are two main types of touch technologies: Projected capacitive and infrared touch.

Projected capacitive touch technology detects and locates a touch by measuring peak changes in the frequency. When a user touches the screen, capacitance arises between a finger and on the screen causing the electromagnetic field of the sensor to be disturbed.

Infrared touch overlays are placed in a frame surrounding the display and emit infrared LEDs and sensors in a vertical and horizontal row. Because infrared touch technology is less expensive and more scalable than projected capacitance, we can build large touch screen solutions.

Read on to learn more about the distinct features and benefits of a projected capacitive touch and infrared touch technology.

Infrared (IR) vs Projected Capacitive (PCAP). Differences Between IR & PCAP

Although you may not be able to discern the difference between infrared (IR) and projected capacitive (PCAP) when using interactive touch screens, they are structurally and aesthetically distinct.

We’ll explore how these two are different and you can use the breakdown to decide which is better for your project.

Projected Capacitive Touch Screen (PCAP) 

Projected capacitive (also known as PCT or PCAP) is a type of a touch screen technology found on the surface of smartphones, tablets, human-machine interfaces (HMIs), and a variety of other touch screen devices. It is largely the same as surface capacitive technology, with a few improvements.

PCAP touch has more electrodes than the surface of the capacitive touch screen. As a result, they can handle a wider range of touch instructions.

The touch points are supported in the thousands of distinct places to determine the contact with the display interface by certain projected capacitive touch screens. PCAP touch screens are available at REV Interactive as Nano Touch Foil (which is more flexible) or a rigid glass panel. 

Infrared Touch Screens

Infrared touch technology (commonly known as IR) is the most frequently used in commercial touch screens and has been the industry standard for decades.

Using IR technology eliminates the need for the physical touch points with the screen, resulting in less damage over time. It operates by integrating LED lights and sensors into a monitor’s bezel above the glass. These LEDs make an unseen grid by beaming a signal across to the equivalent sensor on the other side.

When a finger or more other solid item breaks the grid, the sensors may identify the contact location. REV Interactive provides several sizes of the IR multi-touch overlays to choose from.

Difference in Features

How They Work

The voltage of a projected capacitive touchscreen will drop if you tap or touch the display interface. When you turn on a projected capacitive touch screen, electricity flows through the X-Y grid of intersecting electrodes.

When you tap or contact the display interface, a finger or stylus absorbs part of the energy in the region, which the device recognizes as of the touch.

This generates an invisible grid of infrared beams. On the other side of the display from the emitters, sensors detect contact when the grid’s plane is disrupted when a user touches it with their finger (or other solid objects).

In a sense, infrared touch screens use light-beam interruption or “beam break”, to ascertain where the touch has occurred.

Functionality

A consistent electrostatic charge is applied to the top layer of capacitive touch screens. Touching the display will absorb part of the current that the gadget uses to detect touch points since the human body conducts electricity.

If you make contact with the display, the LED light in that area will be interrupted, allowing the gadget to recognize by the touch on the surface of the screen.

To detect the touch commands on the screen, infrared (IR) employs a mix of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and sensors. IR touch screens are built with LEDs that emit light to the matching sensors on the display’s surface.

Support for Touch Commands

The multi-touch instructions on a capacitive device are not possible while wearing gloves.

With IR touch screens, they will recognize your multi-touch command whether you use a finger, a gloved finger, or even a stylus.

Accuracy

Both capacitive and infrared touch screens are very accurate, capable of detecting the precise place of your touch instruction.

Capacitive technology, however, is generally more accurate. The touch in a capacitive device’s display absorbs electrostatic current from the precise region, providing for a higher level of precision of touch technology.

Screen Size

PCAP touch screen software is most often seen in smartphones and tablets, but it may also be utilized on much bigger panels.

The integrated overlay of infrared beams from the top to bottom and side to side across the device’s bezel constitutes IR touch technology. The infrared touch system can also be the most cost-effective touch solution we provide, and it is available for a wide range of display sizes (32″ – 100+”).

Best Applications of Projected Capacitive (PCAP Touch) and Infrared (IR) Touch

Here are some practical applications of projected capacitive touch and infrared technology.

We hope this section will give you a better idea of which you should use for your project! 

Automatic Teller Machines

Automatic teller machines (ATMs), often known as cash machines, are a well-established kind of self-service technology that the general public has grown used to the utilization of a touch on a regular basis of resistive touch.

They are not only limited up to bank branches where they can be maintained and loaded up by the bank personnel. Mobile ATMs, for example, are erected in fields at the music festival season, depending on high-tech wireless data connections to verify balances and provide access to funds.

Self-service Kiosk

Self-service kiosks rely on a strong multi-touch screen technology that lets users find the information or service they require for themselves.

All that is required is the skill to configure the software that powers these kiosks, and they may be used to issue tickets, offer sales information, access web-based services, or purchase meals.

These self-service kiosks provide a variety of services from a single, cost-effective touch unit.

Barcode Scanner

As soon as barcode scanning began to improve the efficiency of merchants’ point-of-sale procedures, they realized how they might become even more cost-effective if customers had access to that touch screen technology as well.

It is now typical for stores to enable customers to stroll by the store, scanning the barcodes of products as they go.

For more infrared touch screen for retailinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

This not only saves consumers from having to line up at the conclusion of their shopping binge, but it also means that fewer customer care employees are needed on site.

Online Banking Services

Online banking is, of course, the resistive touch self-service equivalent of banking.

Self-service online banking, which is more secure than ever, puts the client in control of their funds, whether they want to change the touch order, make foreign payments using the screen , or settle their debts.

Because of the effectiveness of such self-service technology, many consumers no longer bother to visit their banks’ resistive touch machines.

But, How Should You Choose Which to Use? IR vs. PCAP

1. Budget

PCAP is the trending touch technology of the future, although it has a higher initial cost.

Infrared is a proven and true touch point technology mainstay. If you’re searching for a more affordable touch screen, we recommend going with an infrared touch screen.

If you are prepared to make an investment, a PCAP touch screen will be well worth it.

2. Type of Devices

Which type of touch screen technology you use also depends on the device you’re applying it to.

A consistent electrostatic charge is applied to the top layer of capacitive touch screens. The touch point display will absorb part of the current that the gadget uses to detect touch instructions since the human body conducts electricity.

To detect the touch point commands, infrared touch screens do not need an electric charge. Instead, they detect multi-touch commands using a mix of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and sensors.

3. Location

Capacitive technology is suitable for both indoor and outdoor locations, as well as unattended, self-service devices, and it enables single and multi touch capabilities in any form and size.

Infrared technology is unsuitable for unsupervised outdoor applications. Ambient light and weather conditions can be having a significant impact on performance. Infrared touch technology touch is better suited for supervised indoor applications.

4. Targeted Users

Touch screens are resistive touch technology typically used in conjunction with haptic response systems. The vibratory feedback produced when a button on a touchscreen is tapped is a popular example or more of this technology.

Haptics are used to improve the user experience with touch screens by giving simulated tactile feedback. They may also be programmed to react quickly, which helps to compensate for on-screen reaction latency.

Conclusion

PCAP and Infrared are the two most appropriate types of touch technology for commercial touch panels.

Both are excellent, but depending on the customer’s needs, one may be more appropriate than the other.

PCAP is the touch technology of the future, although it has a higher initial cost. Infrared is a proven and true touch technology’s mainstay.

If you’re searching for a more affordable touch screen, we recommend going with an infrared touch screen. If you are prepared to invest, a PCAP touch screen will be well worth it. When it comes to choosing between the two, there is no right or wrong answer; it is just a question of preference.

So for your project, who’s the winner in the infrared vs projected capacitive comparison?

At REV Interactive we provide infrared and projected capacitive touch screen technologies, as well as bespoke software. Visit our website’s product pages to select from a wide range of touchscreen alternatives.

With inexpensive and personalized touch screen rentals delivered directly to you, we provide the ideal option for any event.

Get in touch with us to learn more!

Frequently Asked Questions on Infrared vs Projected Capacitive Touch Screen

1. Which type of touchscreen is not suitable for gloved fingers?

Capacitive touch screens do not support a gloved finger’s touch. Gloved fingers should still elicit a reaction from IR touch overlay. 

However, most of the time, touch screens aren’t very responsive to a user who is wearing gloves. The thickness of the glove and the material it is made of play a significant role when it comes creating a response on touch screen surfaces.

2. What type of touch screen is best?

Both projected capacitive and infrared technologies can be a good choice depending on the intended use. It is difficult to determine the best option among the two without context.

Projected capacitive touch technology has the benefit of supporting excellent image clarity, being resistant to liquids and other surface impurities, and being even more resistant to nicks and scratches than surface capacitive displays. One of the most significant advantages of this touch technology is its multi-touch capability.

If your touch screen application will be used outside or in an exposed area, IR touch technology is not the best option. If, on the other hand, you need cutting-edge optical performance and a stunning, crystal-clear display and money isn’t an issue, IR touch technology might be a wonderful alternative for you! 

3. What is the difference between the touchscreen and multi-touch?

A single touch monitor is an electronic visual display that detects and displays the presence and position of a single touch inside the display area. Other passive items, such as a pen, can be detected by touch monitors. In essence, when a finger or stylus takes the place of the mouse click or flick.

Any touch monitor that can be identified by two touches and execute extra tasks to alter the interface is referred to as multi-touch. The iPhone is credited with popularizing this interface by allowing pinching and the touch on the screen to adjust magnification.

4. What is Zombie finger?

This is the phrase used when users are unable to get their touch technologies to respond to fingertip contact.

Electrical conductivity might be hampered when a finger has large calluses on its surface or if the user has extremely dry skin. The flow of power is halted as a result of this. As a result, you may find yourself pounding away on your or tablet with your ‘Zombie Finger’ in vain.

Touch panel technologies are a key theme in current digital devices, including smartphones, slate devices like the iPad, the screens on the backs of digital cameras, the Nintendo DS, and Windows 7 devices. The term touch panel encompasses various technologies for sensing the touch of a finger or stylus. In this session, we'll look at basic touch panel sensing methods and introduce the characteristics and optimal applications of each.

Note: Below is the translation from the Japanese of the ITmedia article "How Can a Screen Sense Touch? A Basic Understanding of Touch Panels"published September 27, . Copyright ITmedia Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Touch panels have become a part of daily life

A major factor driving the spread of touch panels is the benefits they offer in the way of intuitive operation. Since they can be used for input through direct contact with icons and buttons, they're easy to understand and easily used, even by people unaccustomed to using computers. Touch panels also contribute to miniaturization and simplification of devices by combining display and input into a single piece of equipment. Since touch panel buttons are software, not hardware, their interfaces are easily changed through software.

Primary applications of LCD monitors with touch panels. These devices are used in many widespread spheres.

While a touch panel requires a wide range of characteristics, including display visibility above all, along with precision in position sensing, rapid response to input, durability, and installation costs, their characteristics differ greatly depending on the methods used to sense touch input. Some typical touch-panel sensing methods are discussed below.

Resistive film touch panels

As of , resistive film represented the most widely used sensing method in the touch panel market. Touch panels based on this method are called pressure-sensitive or analog-resistive film touch panels. In addition to standalone LCD monitors, this technology is used in a wide range of small to mid-sized devices, including smartphones, mobile phones, PDAs, car navigation systems, and the Nintendo DS.

With this method, the position on screen contacted by a finger, stylus, or other object is detected using changes in pressure. The monitor features a simple internal structure: a glass screen and a film screen separated by a narrow gap, each with a transparent electrode film (electrode layer) attached. Pressing the surface of the screen presses the electrodes in the film and the glass to come into contact, resulting in the flow of electrical current. The point of contact is identified by detecting this change in voltage.

The advantages of this system include the low-cost manufacture, thanks to its simple structure. The system also uses less electricity than other methods, and the resulting configurations are strongly resistant to dust and water since the surface is covered in film. Since input involves pressure applied to the film, it can be used for input not just with bare fingers, but even when wearing gloves or using a stylus. These screens can also be used to input handwritten text.

Drawbacks include lower light transmittance (reduced display quality) due to the film and two electrode layers; relatively lower durability and shock resistance; and reduced precision of detection with larger screen sizes. (Precision can be maintained in other ways—for example, splitting the screen into multiple areas for detection.)

Capacitive touch panels

Capacitive touch panels represent the second most widely used sensing method after resistive film touch panels. Corresponding to the terms used for the above analog resistive touch panels, these also are called analog capacitive touch panels. Aside from standalone LCD monitors, these are often used in the same devices with resistive film touch panels, such as smartphones and mobile phones.

With this method, the point at which the touch occurs is identified using sensors to sense minor changes in electrical current generated by contact with a finger or changes in electrostatic capacity (load). Since the sensors react to the static electrical capacity of the human body when a finger approaches the screen, they also can be operated in a manner similar to moving a pointer within an area touched on screen.

Two types of touch panels use this method: surface capacitive touch panels and projective capacitive touch panels. The internal structures differ between the two types.

Surface capacitive touch panels
Surface capacitive touch panels are often used in relatively large panels. Inside these panels, a transparent electrode film (electrode layer) is placed atop a glass substrate, covered by a protective cover. Electric voltage is applied to electrodes positioned in the four corners of the glass substrate, generating a uniform low-voltage electrical field across the entire panel. The coordinates of the position at which the finger touches the screen are identified by measuring the resulting changes in electrostatic capacity at the four corners of the panel.

While this type of capacitive touch panel has a simpler structure than a projected capacitive touch panel and for this reason offers lower cost, it is structurally difficult to detect contact at two or more points at the same time (multi-touch).

Projected capacitive touch panels
Projected capacitive touch panels are often used for smaller screen sizes than surface capacitive touch panels. They've attracted significant attention in mobile devices. The iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad use this method to achieve high-precision multi-touch functionality and high response speed.

The internal structure of these touch panels consists of a substrate incorporating an IC chip for processing computations, over which is a layer of numerous transparent electrodes is positioned in specific patterns. The surface is covered with an insulating glass or plastic cover. When a finger approaches the surface, electrostatic capacity among multiple electrodes changes simultaneously, and the position were contact occurs can be identified precisely by measuring the ratios between these electrical currents.

A unique characteristic of a projected capacitive touch panel is the fact that the large number of electrodes enables accurate detection of contact at multiple points (multi-touch). However, the projected capacitive touch panels featuring indium-tin-oxide (ITO) found in smartphones and similar devices are poorly suited for use in large screens, since increased screen size results in increased resistance (i.e., slower transmission of electrical current), increasing the amount of error and noise in detecting the points touched.

Larger touch panels use center-wire projected capacitive touch panels in which very thin electrical wires are laid out in a grid as a transparent electrode layer. While lower resistance makes center-wire projected capacitive touch panels highly sensitive, they are less suited to mass production than ITO etching.

Above, we've summarized the differences between the two types of capacitive touch panels. The overall characteristics of such panels include the fact that unlike resistive film touch panels, they do not respond to touch by clothing or standard styli. They feature strong resistance to dust and water drops and high durability and scratch resistance. In addition, their light transmittance is higher, as compared to resistive film touch panels.

On the other hand, these touch panels require either a finger or a special stylus. They cannot be operated while wearing gloves, and they are susceptible to the effects of nearby metal structures.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch panels

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch panels were developed mainly to address the drawbacks of low light transmittance in resistive film touch panels—that is, to achieve bright touch panels with high levels of visibility. These are also called surface wave or acoustic wave touch panels. Aside from standalone LCD monitors, these are widely used in public spaces, in devices like point-of-sale terminals, ATMs, and electronic kiosks.

These panels detect the screen position where contact occurs with a finger or other object using the attenuation in ultrasound elastic waves on the surface. The internal structure of these panels is designed so that multiple piezoelectric transducers arranged in the corners of a glass substrate transmit ultrasound surface elastic waves as vibrations in the panel surface, which are received by transducers installed opposite the transmitting ones. When the screen is touched, ultrasound waves are absorbed and attenuated by the finger or other object. The location is identified by detecting these changes. Naturally, the user does not feel these vibrations when touching the screen. These panels offer high ease of use.

The strengths of this type of touch panel include high light transmittance and superior visibility, since the structure requires no film or transparent electrodes on the screen. Additionally, the surface glass provides better durability and scratch resistance than a capacitive touch panel. Another advantage is that even if the surface does somehow become scratched, the panel remains sensitive to touch. (On a capacitive touch panel, surface scratches can sometimes interrupt signals.) Structurally, this type of panel ensures high stability and long service life, free of changes over time or deviations in position.

Weak points include compatibility with only fingers and soft objects (such as gloves) that absorb ultrasound surface elastic waves. These panels require special-purpose styluses and may react to substances like water drops or small insects on the panel.

All in all, however, these touch panels offer relatively few drawbacks. Recent developments such as improvements in manufacturing technology are also improving their cost-performance.

Optical touch panels (infrared optical imaging touch panels)

The category of optical touch panels includes multiple sensing methods. The number of products employing infrared optical imaging touch panels based on infrared image sensors to sense position through triangulation has grown in recent years, chiefly among larger panels.

A touch panel in this category features one infrared LED each at the left and right ends of the top of the panel, along with an image sensor (camera). Retroreflective tape that reflects incident light along the axis of incidence is affixed along the remaining left, right, and bottom sides. When a finger or other object touches the screen, the image sensor captures the shadows formed when the infrared light is blocked. The coordinates of the location of contact are derived by triangulation.

Electromagnetic induction touch panels

While this type differs somewhat from the above touch panels, let's touch on the subject of electromagnetic induction touch panels. This method is used in devices like LCD graphics tablets, tablet PCs, and purikura photo sticker booths.

This input method for graphics tablets, which originally did not feature monitors, achieves high-precision touch panels by combining a sensor with the LCD panel. When the user touches the screen with a special-purpose stylus that generates a magnetic field, sensors on the panel receive the electromagnetic energy and use it to sense the position of the pen.

Since a special-purpose stylus is used for input, input using a finger or a general-purpose stylus is not possible, and the method has limited applications. Still, this has both good and bad points. It eliminates input errors due to the surrounding environment or unintended screen manipulation. Since the technology was intended for use in graphics tablets, it offers superior sensor precision—making it possible, for example, to change line width smoothly by precisely sensing the pressure with which the stylus is pressed against the screen (electrostatic capacity). This design approach also gives the screen high light transmittance and durability.
 

Summary of trends in touch-panel sensing methods

The table below summarizes the characteristics of the touch panels we've looked at. Keep in mind that even in devices based on the same sensing method, performance and functions can vary widely in the actual products. Use this information only as an introduction to general product characteristics. Additionally, given daily advances in touch-panel technological innovations and cost reductions, the information below is only a snapshot of current trends as of September .

Differences in and characteristics of main touch-panel sensing methods Sensing method Resistive film Capacitive SAW Infrared optical imaging Electromagnetic induction Light transmittance Not so good Good Good Excellent Excellent Finger touch Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent No Gloved touch Excellent No Good Excellent No Stylus touch Excellent Not so good (special-purpose stylus) Good (depends on material) Good (depends on material) Excellent (special-purpose stylus) Durability Not so good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Resistance to water drops Excellent Excellent Not so good Good Excellent Cost Reasonable Not so reasonable Reasonable Not so reasonable Not so reasonable

Each touch-panel type offers its own strengths and weaknesses. No single sensing method currently offers overwhelming superiority in all aspects. Choose a product after considering the intended use and environmental factors.

Are you interested in learning more about infrared touch overlay? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!