3M Touch Systems Unveils EX II Electronics Platform for Touch Screens.Business Editors & Technology Writers METHUEN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 2002 3M Touch Systems, Inc. announced today its new MicroTouch EX II electronics platform, a revolutionary new mixed-mode, proprietary ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. (application-specific integrated circuit (hardware) Application-Specific Integrated Circuit - (ASIC) An integrated circuit designed to perform a particular function by defining the interconnection of a set of basic circuit building blocks drawn from a library provided by the circuit manufacturer. ), which supports a variety of touch screen technologies. Innovative in design and feature rich in nature, this electronics platform represents a significant investment in the future of touch technology, unattainable until now. Its architectural design This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details. This article has been tagged since September 2007. enables a new generation of touch controllers, supporting both capacitive and resistive resistive /re·sis·tive/ (re-zis´tiv) pertaining to or characterized by resistance. touch technology. In addition, this chip provides the foundation for a series of touch controller products (such as serial RS-232, USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. (universal serial bus See USB. (hardware, standard) Universal Serial Bus - (USB) An external peripheral interface standard for communication between a computer and external peripherals over an inexpensive cable using biserial transmission. ), and TouchPen) to be delivered by 3M Touch Systems in the coming year. "The EX II platform represents an exciting strategic direction for the organization," said Terry Jones, business director, 3M Touch Systems. "This design responds to the demands for new levels of creativity for all touch applications. With its small footprint, extended temperatures, and on-chip RAM, EX II enables the research and development team at 3M Touch Systems to expand the technology offerings into entirely new dimensions of touch interactivity." EX II is a single chip solution that's compact in design but powerful in capability. The mixed mode (analog/digital) 64-pin ASIC supports multiple touch technologies, including capacitive, 4-wire resistive and 5-wire resistive, as well as multiple serial communications See serial transmission and serial. capabilities, including RS-232 Serial and USB. The embedded USB functionality is integrated in the ASIC, minimizing development time and effort and requiring fewer additional parts. USB support provides plug and play capability, Wake-On-Touch, and low power mode. This allows the system to use less power when not being used, while a simple touch brings the system awake. EX II's new architecture has designed in on-chip ROM and on-chip RAM. Embedded ROM code allows development engineers to address the ASIC independent from the touch application, facilitating firmware development. On-chip RAM provides the flexibility of downloading firmware at the point of manufacture or to systems already deployed in the field. The chip allows access to the latest 3M Touch Systems features and protects from obsolescence ob·so·les·cent adj. 1. Being in the process of passing out of use or usefulness; becoming obsolete. 2. Biology Gradually disappearing; imperfectly or only slightly developed. . EX II has the capability of 16k by 16k touch resolution, improving precision for larger screen sizes. An expanded operating temperature range (-40(Degree) to 70(Degree) C) enables touch solutions to exist in a broader range of environments. Superior immunity to electro-static discharge (ESD (1) (Electronic Software Distribution) Distributing new software and upgrades via the network rather than individual installations on each machine. See ESL. ) and robust electro-magnetic interference resistance enhances the reliability of the overall touch application, and simplifies meeting ever-stringent regulatory requirements. Also available today are the first EX II-based controllers (cased or uncased) for the ClearTek product line. The EX II 1000 SC series integrates the EX II chip and is fully backward compatible Refers to hardware or software that is compatible with earlier versions of the product. Also called "downward compatible." Contrast with forward compatible. backward compatible - backward compatibility to the former serial controller, making it easy for existing customers to adopt EX II technology and enjoy many of the new features. With the download firmware capability, the EX II 1000 SC can be field upgraded with the latest firmware feature set from 3M Touch Systems. "Designed with today's fast performance requirements in mind, EX II redefines the level of speed, accuracy, and custom capability required for today's applications. 3M Touch Systems' decision to expand its electronics product offering demonstrates the company's philosophy that with the right products and the right expertise, we can be tremendously responsive in the markets that we serve," said Dan Savage Daniel Keenan Savage (born October 7, 1964[1] near Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an openly gay American sex advice columnist, author, media pundit, journalist, and newspaper editor. , business manager, sensor products. About 3M Touch Systems, Inc. This announcement represents a renewed focus on the design and development of new touch products from 3M Touch Systems, Inc, a subsidiary of 3M, created through the acquisition of Dynapro and MicroTouch Systems, two longtime touch suppliers in the touch screen industry. 3M Touch Systems operates globally and reports through 3M Optical Systems Division headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. 3M is a $17 billion diversified technology company with leading positions in health care, safety, electronics, telecommunications, industrial, consumer and office, and other markets. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, the company has operations in more than 60 countries and serves customers in nearly 200 countries. 3M businesses share technologies, manufacturing operations, brands, marketing channels and other important resources. 3M is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average Dow Jones Industrial Average The best known U.S. index of stocks. A price-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks, primarily industrials including stocks that trade on the New York Stock Exchange. and also is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For more information about 3M go to www.3M.com or www.3M.com/profile/pressbox/index.jhtml 3M and MicroTouch are trademarks of 3M company. To download a high resolution JPEG JPEG in full Joint Photographic Experts Group Standard computer file format for storing graphic images in a compressed form for general use. JPEG images are compressed using a mathematical algorithm. image related to this release, visit http://www.3m.com/3MTouchsystems/Corporate/News/EXII.exe For all other inquiries, visit www.3Mtouch.com/info/pr. |
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