Hardware

Sigmasense introduces touch controller for interactive displays

Image courtesy of Sigmasense.

May 19, 2021

Sigmasense, a provider of touch sensing performance technology, has begun production of its Sigmadrive based SDC100 touch controller for interactive displays, according to a press release.

The SDC100 enables touch response that is faster and more accurate than a smartphone, even on 75-inch outdoor digital signs with 13-mm thick tamper-resistant glass.

The capabilities result from a unique method of current-mode sensing that the company claims is an exponential improvement over the traditional voltage-mode threshold approach. Current-mode sensing uses ultra-low voltage signals with many different frequencies, which it sends and listens to on rows and columns simultaneously. The output is faster, with lower latency, providing high-fidelity data with superior signal-to-noise characteristics.

The performance and feature set of the SDC100 overcomes long-standing PCAP controller design constraints and presents innovation opportunities for engineers by providing predictable performance even in challenging environments.

This PCAP breakthrough means engineers can design using higher-resistant, less costly materials for use in harsher conditions, like outdoors in the rain or with contaminants and accept high speed inputs from multiple users simultaneously.

Capacitive imaging of the entire screen also means new opportunities for AI and machine learning, enabling new experiences such as object recognition for interactive displays.

The SDC100 chip is in volume production and powering interactions for large outdoor displays built by LG-MRI. The 75-inch outdoor screens with 13-mm bulletproof glass are featured at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.