MaXTouch S targets larger auto touchscreens

Atmel has confirmed that two new maXTouch touchscreen controllers were recently certified for use in next-gen automobiles. The mXT1188S is optimized for touchscreens up to 12 inches, while the mXT1664S is targeted at touchscreens up to 14 inches.

Both touchscreen controllers are optimized for single-layer shieldless sensor designs in automotive center consoles, navigation systems, radio interfaces and rear-seat entertainment systems. 

Meanwhile, a single-layer shieldless sensor design eliminates additional screen layers, effectively delivering improved light transparency. This results in lower power consumption, along with an overall lower system cost for the manufacturer.

The above-mentioned maXTouch controllers are AEC-Q100 compliant and designed for high reliability in harsh environments. They also offer glove support and improved moisture resistance – two key requirements for touch screen use in vehicles.

“The new automotive-qualified maXTouch controllers further strengthen Atmel’s automotive market position enabling more touchscreens in the car to hit the streets,” said Rob Valiton, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Automotive, Aerospace and Memory Business Units.

“We are also making in-car systems with capacitive touchscreens more accessible by enabling a shieldless single-layer touch sensor, which significantly reduces the total system cost. [Simply put], Atmel’s maXTouch controllers deliver superior touch performance, multi-touch, faster response times, more precise touches, robust operation and lower power consumption for an excellent user experience.”

To help accelerate design, Atmel is currently offering the EVK-MXT1664SAT-A evaluation kit, which includes an mXT1664S touch controller that interfaces with a 10.1-inch sensor (with an aspect ratio of 16:9).

 It should be noted that samples of the mXT1664S-A and mXT1188S-A in LQFP144 packages are available now, while devices in the PPAP packages will ship in June 2014 with volume production by July 2014.

Interested in learning more about Atmel automotive-qualified touch solutions? You can check out our official product page here.

Atmel expands maXTouch auto lineup

Atmel has rolled out a new maXTouch family to facilitate single-layer shieldless designs in automotive center stacks, navigation systems, radio interfaces and rear seat entertainment platforms.

“The mXT336S is optimized for 7-inch touchscreens, while the mXT224S targets smaller touchscreens and tablets,” said Stephan Thaler, Atmel Marketing Director for Automotive Touch Products. “Both are AEC-Q100-compliant and fully automotive qualified.”

Dedicated firmware and a high signal-to-noise ratio makes these devices ideally suited for very noisy environments. Since only a high signal-to-noise ratio enables detection of touches with a “gloved” finger, the devices provide full support for gloved hand operation on automotive touchscreens.

As Thaler notes, conventional touch controllers are unable to handle LCD noise, so an additional shield layer is typically required to prevent noise coupling.

“However, thanks to the [optimized] noise handling and filtering capabilities of our new automotive- qualified maXTouch devices, shields are no longer required, and designers can use single-layer sensors instead of dual or triple layers, which are typical in many current applications,” he explained.

“By eliminating an additional layer, designers have a thinner stack which reduces the overall system complexity, lowering the overall cost and power consumption, which results in higher yields during production.”

Indeed, the mXT336S/mXT224S devices support touch detection, up to 10 simultaneous touches, touch size reporting, single- and dual-touch gesture calculation, communication of X/Y positions, gesture support and the ability to eliminate unintended touches. Users can also perform multi-touch gestures (pinch, stretch, etc.), while unintended touches are rejected, such as a resting hand on the screen. Simply put, the above-mentioned key features help bring the smartphone experience into contemporary cars.

Samples of the automotive-qualified mXT336S and mXT224S touch controllers are currently available in TQFP64 packages, while demo kits for both devices can also be ordered to support design-in and shorten time-to-market.