Microchip maXTouch® touch screen controller, did you know?

Did you know about Microchip’s maXTouch® touchscreen controller? December 10, 2018 – – As automotive touchscreen displays increase in size, drivers expect a phone-like touch experience when operating. However, car screens need to pass strict head impact and vibration tests and therefore have thicker cover glass, which may affect the performance of the touch screen. Because of the increased screen size, touch screens are more likely to experience interference from other frequencies, such as AM radios and vehicle access systems.

All these factors become major issues when designing modern automotive capacitive touch systems. In order to solve these problems, Microchip Technology Inc. has launched a new series of single-chip maXTouch touch screen controllers.

The MXT2912TD-A, which uses nearly 3,000 touch sensing nodes, and the MXT2113TD-A, which supports more than 2,000 nodes, can bring customers the coveted automotive touch screen user experience. The new devices are based on Microchip's maXTouch touch screen technology, which is used by manufacturers around the world. Microchip’s latest solution provides excellent signal-to-noise performance to meet thick glass cover requirements and enables multi-finger touch even when operating with gloves or when the screen is wet.

As automakers use touch screens to replace mechanical switches on the dashboard for more aesthetically pleasing interior designs, operational safety and reliability become even more important. The MXT2912TD and MXT2113TD devices combine self-diagnostics and sensor diagnostics to continuously monitor touch system integrity. These intelligent diagnostic functions meet the "Automotive Safety Integrity Level" (ASIL) classification indicators specified in the "ISO 26262 Functional Safety Specification for Passenger Cars".

The technology used in the new device enables adaptive touch detection using self-capacitance and mutual capacitance detection methods, so all touch actions can be recognized and false touch detection can be avoided. They also leverage Microchip's new patented signal shaping technology to significantly reduce signal emissions, helping large screens using maXTouch controllers meet CISPR-25 Level 5 automotive electromagnetic interference requirements. The new touchscreen controller also meets Class 3 (-40 to +85°C) and Class 2 (-40 to +105°C) automotive grade temperature ranges and is AEC-Q100 qualified.

With the launch of the new maXTouch touchscreen controller, Microchip enables customers to achieve full scalability, offering the industry's only complete and growing portfolio of automotive-grade touchscreen controllers in multiple sizes. Designers can design a variety of applications from small tablet devices to large displays in the same development environment, enjoying the same host software interface and excellent user experience, ultimately shortening the design cycle while reducing system and development costs.

Fanie Duvenhage, Vice President of Microchip's Human Machine Interface Business Unit, said: "Microchip has been in the automotive industry for many years and has strong strength. Customer service is not just about providing integrated circuits, but about establishing partnerships with customers through the complex touch system supply chain, so we provide The display, sensors and all communication services meet customer expectations. The new device builds on these achievements and follows the current trend of increasing car screen size and decreasing finger separation."

development tools

Eight dedicated application and sensor design centers around the world help Microchip customers and partners accelerate designs to market using maXTouch technology. Microchip’s maXTouch technology experts have partnered with all major sensor, display and touch module manufacturers.

Each product in the new maXTouch touchscreen controller family is available with an evaluation kit that includes a printed circuit board (PCB) featuring the maXTouch touchscreen controller, a touch sensor mounted on a clear glass cover, and a connection to the sensor display. The required flat printed circuit (FPC), converter PCB required to connect the kit to the host via USB, as well as cables, software and documentation. All devices are also compatible with maXTouch Studio, a complete software development environment that supports the evaluation of maXTouch touch screen controllers.

supply

The MXT2912TD-A and MXT2113TD-A devices are now sampling and in production in LQFP176 and LQFP144 packages, respectively, with on-demand pricing. For more information, please contact a Microchip sales representative or authorized global distributor, or visit Microchip’s official website. The above is the analysis of Microchip maXTouch® touch screen controller, I hope it can help you.