Resistive Touch Panel (RTP) vs Capacitive Touch Panel (CTP)

 

Displays are commonly used in embedded applications. HMI which stands for Human Machine Interface is a digital product that allows operators to interact with systems through a screen. While interacting with the HMI, the user uses the front end user interface and provide inputs or check the outputs visually on the screen. For interaction, users have two kind of touch options on the screen

 - Resistive based

 - Capacitive based

In resistive touch based screens, there is a top and bottom layer which are separated by a air gap. When pressed, the change in voltage is detected as the touch coordinates. Materials like Indium Tin oxide are used for top and bottom layer materials. The main advantage is that resistive touch screens are cheap and don't need any conductive material to be used for touch

Capactive touch screens work based on the electromagnetic field distribution. So, a conductive material is required to touch. Capactive touch screen works based on the electrical charge distribution and its detection. Capactive touch screens are costly and are superior to resistive touch screens in terms of performance.