New products

19-inch touch screen offers more area to see and manipulate data Parallel computing is used to develop Ada software MicroTouch Systems Inc. has announced its new 19-inch capacitive touch screen for OEMs and systems integrat-ors. The screen more than doubles the display area of the 13-inch screen, providing better visibility, greater visual impact , and more touch area to manipulate data. The MicroTouch Screen comes fabricated in the standard spherical shape to fit most 19-inch monitors or in cylindrical form to fit the line of 19-inch Sony monitors. MicroTouch Systems' larger screen models, the company claims, are especially suitable for public gaming and point-of-purchase applications where the visual impact of highly visible graphics is important for attracting end users. For information kiosks where graphics combine with interactive videodisk applications , the larger touch screen enables easier viewing for the tourist and educa-tion/training markets. For industrial applications , especially for process-control applications regulatinig manufacture and assembly processes, the larger screen will provide improved visibility and easier access to touch screen graphics control panels. The product, an analog capacitive touch screen, allows users to interact with the computer intuitively by simply touching images on the CRT screen. This touch-sensitive screen operates by automatically sensing the location of a capac-itive coupling when it is touched by a finger or conductive stylus. This computer input device can either complement or completely replace keyboard interaction. Constructed of solid glass with a resis-tive coating bonded to its surface, the screen offers a combination of durability , optical clarity, and high resolution. Because of its glass surface, this screen, the company claims, is resistant to damage under normal conditions and will not distort the display image, making it particularly suitable for commercial or industrial use. It also provides a touch resolution of 256 x 256 in the calibrated screen area and allows excellent light transmission, up to 85 percent of the display light, for clear image definition. All MicroTouch Screens transmit data to the host computer over an RS-232 serial line and are compatible with the complete line of MicroTouch software tools used to develop touch screen application software. The new 19-inch screen including controller will be available in production quantities January 1986. Its cost is $750 in OEM quantities of 100 or $1395 for single units. Retrofitting services are also available.