The PenMount team is committed to industrial, medical, and commercial markets and we continue striving to become the world’s leading supplier for total touch solutions.  PenMount projected capacitive (PCAP or PCI) touch products continuously offer new functionality, whether electrical specifications, support for various glove types, water handling, high EMC standards, our products have always elicited praise and admiration from our customers.  At the same time, the superior design of PenMount PCAP touch controllers provides flexible, compatible, and reliable performance while PenMount service and support is second to none.  Assisting customers in adding value in the process of product design is a goal PenMount makes possible every day.

When designing their touch systems and applications, customers can use PenMount’s new controller and software feature on touch panels which entails applying virtual key functionality onto the touch panel surface.  These virtual keys use the same circuit design as the PCAP touch panel active area and the PenMount control board.  This means, the PCI active area encompasses both the LCD panel’s view area and the touch buttons area.  Please reference the following diagram as an example: outside the view area of a 10.4” LCD panel, five touch button functions must be added in the area delineated by the green rectangle.  We can expand the PCI active area to include the green rectangle so that all required buttons can be defined within this extended range.

This type of virtual key provides touch products with a number of advantages.  Firstly, the adoption of virtual keys does not affect a touch panel’s true flat appearance.  The actuation mechanism is provided by the touch sensor, signal trace, controller, and firmware and is not physical.  This also means that overall mechanical design behind the cover glass is simplified.  For example, the glass panel does not need to be machined to accept membrane button components.  One PCAP solution integrates display and key functions.

Second, PenMount’s virtual key layout simplifies motherboard hardware design.  The existing touch control board incorporates key functionality so there is no need for customers to set up additional control circuits.  Software design is also simplified.  Customers do not need to define the functions of the entire touch panel surface.  All functions of the touch panel are provided by the PenMount controller.

Lastly, all virtual keys retain PenMount’s superior water handling, noise immunity, and other advanced features.  Compared to PCAP keys that can be found on the market, PenMount virtual keys offer a much more comprehensive functionality package.  The PenMount team is always prepared to create the virtual key layouts to satisfy any project.

PenMount’s design philosophy involves added consideration on behalf of customers and understanding real customer needs.  Through providing comprehensive touch solutions, we help customers introduce PCI touch products.  The smooth progress of your projects is our ultimate goal.  PenMount has also prepared complete utilities to satisfy your common user setting requirements and facilitate the design and development of your products.

You are welcomed to download all of PenMount’s standard product data and drivers directly from our website at: //www.salt.com.tw and //www.PenMount.com. If you have any suggestions or comments please send e-mail to: salt@salt.com.tw .