New Products Include 12.1", 8.4", and 3.5" Sensors with USB Interface; and Stylish, Metal Construction, Pressure-sensitive Executive Pen.
Wacom Technology Corp., the world's leading maker of interactive pen displays and batteryless, electronic pens, announced today a range of new higher-resolution sensor boards for Tablet PCs and mobile and handheld devices.
The new boards provide 2,500 lines per inch maximum resolution, up 2.5 times from the 1,000 lines previously available, and allow OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to use Wacom's award-winning pen sensing technology in PDAs (personal digital assistants), Smart Phones and Tablet PCs.
Introduced were a 12.1" sensor for Tablet PCs and vertical market PCs with dimensions of 260.6 x 196.4 mm and 3 mm thickness including connectors, weighing 68 g; an 8.4" diagonal sensor with dimensions of 138.8 x 192.6 mm, weighing 29 g; and a 3.5" diagonal sensor for PDAs designed to fit popular AMLCDs used in PDAs.
Shown for the first time was Wacom's Executive Pen for Tablet PCs. It is of metal construction and features a high quality feel and styling. It provides 256 levels of pressure and has a single side switch with no eraser. The side switch can be programmed to be a right mouse click.
Also new is a 3.3V internal USB interface. Baby boards for USB or UART are interchange-able so OEMs can select the interface preferred. Wacom's patented cordless, batteryless, pressure-sensitive pen technology is used in more than 2 million graphics tablets and interactive pen displays worldwide.
A major advantage of Wacom sensors is it is an underlaying, embedded system.Unlike a resistive or capacitive systems that overlay the LCD panel and reduce light transmission of the display, Wacom sensors are embedded under the LCD. This allows 100 per cent luminous transmission, resulting in a clearer display of bright colors without color wash out. Being embedded also increases reliability and durability because the sensor is physically protected and unexposed to harmful influences such as dirt, moisture, high temperatures and physical abuse.
Another advantage of Wacom sensors is low power consumption with advanced power management, both essential to maximize battery usage time.
The Wacom's LSI integrated sensor system consists of:
A range of cordless, batteryless and pressure-sensitive pens including an extra-slim electronic pen only 0.22" (5.5 mm) in diameter. The pen is Wacom's thinnest, nearly half the size of its standard pens. It is optionally available with one side switch, which can be programmed with mouse functions such as a right mouse click. Wacom OEM pens can sense 256 levels of pressure, making transitions between light and hard pressure smoother and reflecting the subtle nuances of a user's hand inflections whether drawing sketches or signing names.
The sensor is a very thin and flexible glass epoxy material, and versions using PET and FPC are also available. A range of sensors is available in rectangular formats measuring diagonally 3.5", 4.0", 8.4", 10.4", and 12.1".
An integrated W8001 chip, which measures only .39" (10 mm) x .39" (10 mm) x 0.5" (1.2 mm) to offer maximum efficiency in the smallest space.
Digitizer control circuitry includes the main W8001 controller with analog and digital LSI, along with scan control software available in a microcontroller (or in the customer's host microcontroller). In OEM devices, the W8001 and microcontroller are usually integrated on a baby board that plugs directly to the sensor board. The sensor board and baby board combined are under the LCD.
Engineering samples of the sensors for OEM manufacturers are immediately available. Quantity prices are available from Steve Sedaker, OEM sales manager.
