What is the difference between resistive and capacitive touch screens?

Comparing the technology of capacitive (Display Module/ Touch Screen Overlay) and Resistive (Display Module/ Touch Screen Overlay touchscreens, Resistive is the older technology while Capacitive touch gets a lot of press these days as the hot new thing. But what’s the real difference between them?

Resistive touch screens consists of several very thin layers. When someone presses the touch panel, the top layer bends to make contact with the bottom layer, closing a circuit and causing a current loop. Resistive touch screens can generally only be used as a single-touch device, but they cost less to make and incorporate into your application and respond to any type of touch. They can be used effectively for simple panel controls, such as an automotive GPS panel control or other keypad-replacement applications, or in applications which require gloved use.

Capacitive touch screens are commonly made of two layers (a surface insulator and a transparent conductive layer beneath it). Since the human body itself is an electrical conductor, when the touch panel is touched with a finger (or a conductive pen), the electrostatic field of the panel is distorted. The touchscreen’s controller is able to tell where this distortion is on the touch screen and sends instructions to the rest of the system accordingly. Capacitive touch screens accept “Multi-touch” controls and require less physical force to register a touch. They’re longer-lived than comparable resistive touch screens, making them suitable for high-grade panel controllers or mobile phones.

This table breaks down some of the common advantages and disadvantages of resistive vs. capacitive touch screens. Select the touch technology that’s right for your application!

Resistive Touch Screen Capacitive Touch Screen Advantages Inexpensive Higher touch sensitivity Better resistance to dust and water Supports mulit-touch Can be used with gloves Good visibility even in sunlight Disadvantages Low touch sensitivity Cannot be used with most gloves Unable to support multi-touch More expensive Poor visibility in sunlight Does not work well with pointed objects

The difference between the two technologies

What type of touchscreen you should go for depends on what the touchscreen will be used for. Resistive touchscreens are more common in manufacturing, medical environments and ATMs. That’s because they have a lower manufacturing cost, are more resistant to dirt and water and significantly reduce the risk of accidental touches (as pressure is needed to make the contact).

Capacitive touchscreens, on the other hand, are more frequently found in day-to-day devices such as smartphones, tablets and household appliances. The reasons for that are their increased durability, higher sensitivity to light touch (or even no touch: hovering) and the fact that they can show sharper images with better contrast (no air in the touch). Also, capacitive touchscreens will keep on working when the glass cover is cracked.

In conclusion, determining which type of touchscreen is best for your product is a matter that you should give some consideration. If you would like some more info on both technologies and how ClickTouch can help you to arrive at the best solution, don’t hesitate to get in touch with ClickTouch.