Maxim Extends TacTouch™ Family with 4- and 10-Finger Multitouch Capacitive Touch-Screen ICs
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At Mobile World Congress 2011, Maxim Integrated Products is demonstrating the MAX11855 and MAX11871, projected capacitive touch-screen controllers offering 4-point and 10-point touch detection with industry-leading sensitivity and noise immunity performance. Building on the Company's reputation for differentiated analog and mixed-signal performance, Maxim's TacTouch family of capacitive touch-screen controllers addresses the various performance and price points demanded by OEMs. The latest TacTouch products offer superior sensitivity and noise immunity, making them the only devices capable of touch detection from a ballpoint/stylus and gloved hands.
The excellent SNR enables detection of very weak (in the femto-farad range) touch variations, such as from a hand waving near the screen (proximity detection), touch from a fine-tip stylus or ballpoint pen, or a hand covered by a glove. Also, it means that the touch point can be farther away from the sensor, enabling touch screens with thicker cover glass or plastic for improved ruggedness.
The MAX11871 also includes a proprietary architecture to reject noise (by over 40dB) from external sources such as AC USB chargers, LCDs, or CFL lights with no additional external components. This selectivity enables the part to be used in high LCD noise environments such as next-generation on-cell and in-cell touch screens.
For applications only requiring 4-point touch detection, the MAX11855/MAX11856 implement a 4-finger simultaneous mutual capacitive multitouch solution, which eliminates any ghosting effect.
The TacTouch advantage: easily add haptic feedback to any end application
As part of Maxim's TacTouch product line of haptics and touch-screen controllers, the MAX11871 and MAX11855/MAX11856 can directly interface to the previously introduced MAX11835/MAX11836 haptic controllers/drivers for piezo actuators and electro-active polymers. In comparison to classic low-voltage motors, these high-voltage actuators provide a superior touch feeling (i.e., they mimic the feeling of a button click on a touch screen). The two-chip touch and haptic controller chipset provides complete support for touch applications that "touch you back," including support for region- and pressure-dependent haptics.