Touch Screen Display

• Hand held computers do not have a separate keyboard.

• The keyboard is displayed on the screen of the display and by touching with a
finger, appropriate virtual keys, data can be input.

• Icons appear on the display and programs are invoked by touching appropriate
icons with your finger.
How does a touch screen work?
• A liquid crystal display is printed with a set of transparent electrodes parallel to the X-axis.

• An insulator is stuck over this grid.

• A grid of transparent electrodes parallel to Y-axis is printed over this.

• Thus a grid of capacitors is created on the screen.

• The position of the hand is sensed by printing on the LCD.

• The value of the capacitance changes when the screen is touched because human body is a
conductor.

• The X-Y coordinates of the point on the screen that is touched is thus sensed and the button
pressed is identified.

• The system will work only with fingers.

• Another technology used in touch screen is resistive screen.

• In this technology, a conductor is printed over the screen.

• When it is touched with a stylus, the resistance changes and this is used to
detect the position where it is touched.

• Not a very accurate method.