Capacitive or Resistive Touchscreens: Know How to make the better Selection

 Touchscreen devices are common these days and cover a majority of technological gadgets.  Most of these devices use either resistive or capacitive types of touchscreens. The general difference is that resistive touchscreens identify the origin of a touch when two layers are pressed together, similarly to the keypad on a microwave oven. This type of touch screen is known as a membrane switch. Capacitive devices function by identifying the electrical coupling produced by the operator’s touch. 

To make it more clear, we have five simple points to understand the differences between the two types of touchscreens - resistive and capacitive. 

Different Method of Input

The two types of touchscreens use a different method of input and mark a notable difference between these.  Devices with capacitive touchscreens offer a single method of input i.e. direct finger or special stylus touch only. Whereas devices with resistive touchscreens offer multiple input methods like direct bare finger touch, gloves, and a stylus (pointed pen). This is because capacitive touchscreens need a finger or conductive stylus that is capable of conducting electrical energy. The moisture and salt in the skin of a finger does this well so when a finger is touched to a capacitive touchscreen, it allows a small amount of radio frequency generated by one layer of the touch screen to be coupled to another layer of the touchscreen allowing a touch location to be identified. Resistive touchscreens do not have this restriction because they are activated by pressure only so any object touching it will work.

Gesture Support 

Resistive touchscreens offering multiple input methods can only  support one or two simultaneous touch inputs.  In contrast, a capacitive device requires bare finger, thin glove or conductive stylus touch inputs to function, but support multi-touch inputs. That makes it versatile in terms of control and the ideal choice for many applications.

Surface Material

Capacitive touchscreen devices are usually designed with a glass surface. A glass surface easily allows the operator’s input electrical coupling to pass through unimpeded which is an essential function of a capacitive device.

Resistive touchscreen devices  are designed with a synthetic plastic material for its outer membrane which is typically a polyester film. It offers a very economical solution for many applications. Some glass surface armored resistive touchscreens are available which use a thin glass laminated membrane surface which offer several key advantages over a standard polyethylene film membrane surface (read on to know more about it). 

Water Resistance 

When it comes to water resistance, resistive touchscreen devices win hands down. These are not only more resistant to water but also dust and debris as well as most contaminants.   But it doesn’t mean they are completely waterproof. For a waterproof resistive technology, you would need to move to a glass armored resistive touch screen. You can expect devices with resistive touchscreens to operate perfectly in wet or humid conditions when compared to capacitive devices. Capacitive touchscreens don’t work well or not at all when wet because water, being a conductor, interferes with the electrical signals it needs to work.

Cost of Production

Production of capacitive touchscreen devices typically costs more than resistive touchscreen devices. They are more difficult to integrate and don’t work well with metal bezels, for instance. Further, the increased production cost results in a higher sale price of the device. Resistive touchscreens are easy to integrate and embed in many applications. It usually incurs lower development costs and is typically used in more inexpensive touchscreen devices.

If you are looking for an economical yet durable solution for touchscreens, you should consider a resistive model. You can find the best resistive touchscreens at A D Metro. They can offer the most durable and cost-effective resistive touchscreen sensors designed with advanced materials. A D Metro has even excelled in designing a patented glass surfaced armored resistive touchscreen series called ULTRA which is a highly durable touchscreen used in demanding environments such as defence and industrial applications.