Interacting With Machines Using The Touch Screen Display And Silicone Keypads

By Author: Ton Sign
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Technology is advancing and scientists are moving forward in giving us systems that are simpler to use, more interactive and long lasting. A few years ago keypads were basically metallic but they have almost fully gotten replaced by silicone keypads. We can all attest to the demerits of metallic keypads such as hardness to the finger's touch, permeability to water and moisture, and susceptibility to oxidation and corrosion, all of which limit the industries they may be used in. A long lasting solution has been found in silicone/elastomer/rubber keypads intended to not only be used in the industrial setup but also in homes, commercial centers and public facilities.

The market has Silicone Keypads in all sizes, colors, designs and styles, and they are fully customizable to fit in all devices and equipment ranging from cell phones to monstrous machines. They are also preferred for the ease of use and plushy touch they offer. Silicone keypads are manufactured from the long lasting compression-molded silicone compound. These keypads are further customizable to be used as rubber ...
... switches. Conductive silicone keypads may be integrated with membrane switches, printed circuit boards or flex circuits. They may also come with silk screen printed legends, solid colors or translucent, for use as backlight keypads.

Another development in their interaction with computerized equipment is the touch screen display. Previously this sort of technology was designed for the industrial setup but it has now found its way to high resolution LCD screens and incorporation with membrane switches. A touch screen display may come in three forms, mainly the capacitive, infra red and resistive types, with the latter being the most popular since it is the cheapest. Resistive touch screens are further available as either digital or analog displays.

The digital touch screen display, also known as the X-Y Matrix display, features a number of rows and columns generated by etching a layer of ITO coating onto a screen. When assembled together they form a screen with a series of discrete switches and whose resolution is dependent on the number of columns and rows. The position of each discrete switch is permanent and its size cannot change. One advantage of such a touch display is its ease of integration with membrane switches.

An analog touch screen display on the other hand is used when the highest resolution of switches required is more than possible with the digital screen option. Each of its layers has an X or Y axis and a switch is created whenever the layers are placed on top of each other. By just touching any section of the screen a voltage drop is developed and which is also sensed by the CPU which in turn locates the part touched.

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