Which one is better, PCAP (Projected Capacitive) Touch Screen or 5 -Wire Resistive Touch?
“Touch Screen technologies all provide the same function yet are considerably varied in types and methods of operation. Each type has specific benefits and deficiencies, thus choosing the right type of touch screen for a specific application may be difficult and requires a comprehensive knowledge of the different types of Touch technologies and their operational considerations.”
PCAP (Projected Capacitive) Touch Screen vs 5-Wire Resistive Touch
Resolution
The resolution between PCAP and Resistive Touch Screens is similar, with both types of Touch Screen technology offering comparable pixel resolutions. It’s not uncommon for PCAP and Resistive touch screens to have a resolution of 1280 x 1024, allowing for a superior image quality that’s capable of showing even the smallest details.
Light Reflection
While capacitive and resistive touch screens have different touch resolutions, they have different properties when exposed to light. Resistive Touch Screens are made of many individual layers. When you touch the display interface of a Resistive Touch Screen, you’ll press the top layer onto the bottom, which the touch controller uses to determine your point of contact. Unfortunately, the presence of these layers makes resistive touch screens susceptible to light glare. Whether indoors or outdoors, light will bounce off the top layers of the device to create a glare.
PCAP Touch Screens with Anti-glare & Anti-Reflection coatings don’t suffer from light reflections if properly integrated using Air bonding or Optical bonding techniques. When exposed to light, PCAP Touch Screens will maintain a neutral surface without creating any major or otherwise distracting glare.
Touch Sensitivity (Activation Force)
Aside from increased light reflection, another potential drawback of choosing a Resistive Touch Screen rather than a PCAP Touch Screen is a lower level of touch sensitivity. In other words, you must press your finger against a Resistive Touch Screen harder and more forcefully than a PCAP Touch Screen display.
PCAP Touch Screens are designed to identify and register even the lightest touches. In fact, you can often perform a touch command simply by hovering your finger over the surface of a PCAP Touch Screen. This isn’t possible with Resistive Touch Screens since they require physical contact to press the top and bottom layers together. Both technologies support gloved input of many kinds for various applications and industries.
In Conclusion: Which is better, a Resistive Touch Screen or a PCAP Touch Screen?
Both PCAP and Resistive Touch Screens offer a high-quality, crystal-clear image. However, there are a few key advantages of choosing a PCAP Touch Screen over a Resistive one. As explained here, PCAP Touch Screen are more sensitive to touch commands than Resistive Touch Screens.
PCAP Touch Technology has overtaken Resistive as the dominant global touch technology. And offers two primary advantages:
- It is less susceptible to performance degradation due to wear and tear or scratches, as the detecting layer(s) are embedded behind the front surface and away from potential damage.
- It is capable of true Multi-Touch activation (simultaneous input from more than 2 touch points). In some cases, 40 touch points and more.
Due to its proven durability and long-term reliability, coupled with total design flexibility, our PCAP (Projected Capacitive technology) Touch Screens are the ideal solution for a range of commercial applications. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments and unattended, self-service equipment, the technology offers Single and Multi-Touch capability in any design and sizes upto 85”. For more than two decades, AMS IMPEX has been delivering cutting-edge Touch technology based Touch Displays.
