Touch Technology and Visual Performance

When utilizing touch technology in your display project, do you struggle with achieving optimum visual performance? Regardless of which touch sensor you use with your transparent window of either glass or plastic mounted above the display face, unwanted light reflections are introduced and can impact the visual performance of your content.

For indoor use, Infrared (IR) matrix and IR camera based systems do not require a transparent window and don't degrade the display luminance and contrast. This solution is acceptable for indoor environments for single users, but not public venues where high use and potential vandalism can occur or for outdoor environments.

Methods of optically coupling the touch window to the display or special films and coatings can be effective solutions when sunlight readable viewing is required. Typically optical bonding is reserved for those applications where high value hardware can absorbe any additional cost.

Visit Planar to learn more about touch display technology in our eBook, Touch Display Sensors and visit us for a quote for your touchscreen application. Look for information about touchscreen drivers in an upcoming post.

Optical Bonding Facility Meets Growing Demand

Have you searched for a vendor to help with your optical bonding display requirements? Planar's optical bonding lab is fully functional and able to assist with all of your optical bonding projects. And, we've created an optical bonding vendor checklist to make your selection easier.

It's important to choose an optical bonding vendor that can provide comprehensive quality and engineering systems and has processes in place to certify their work. Planar's state-of-the-art optical bonding facility is a Class 10,000 certified cleanroom and has ISO 9001, MIL-Spec and FDA level quality systems in place.

Why do you care about optical bonding? Well, because it provides protection, clarity and viewability, improves resistance to shake and shock and fills the gap between the protective glass and LCD to keep out dust and moisture. And, you can learn lots more about the benefits of optical bonding in Planar's Optical Bonding FAQ.

Are you wondering what display applications would benefit from optical bonding? Displays used in avionics, digital signage, vehicle navigation, outdoor television, and hand carried electronic devices can generally benefit from better readability than is representative of the standard TFT offerings. In ambient light conditions, improved display contrast enables displays to be more readily seen without increasing backlight brightness and the associated unwanted higher power and higher operating temperatures.

Let Planar guide you through your optical bonding requirements and let us know what other performance films and coatings would be useful to your display project.

Large Format Quick Serve Menu Boards Go Digital

The quick serve restaurant (QSR) menu boards are changing, much like the way you view video rental options on kiosk displays at outdoor venues. When requirements call for a large format, high bright display that can operate in rugged, outdoor environments Planar has a solution for your application.

Planar recently partnered with UniStructures, Inc. to provide a 46"outdoor digital signage menu board for a KFC drive thru. The ultra bright 2000 nit display makes reading food selections easier for drive through customers, and the ability to change content easier for KFC.

Available in size forms up to 65", a variety of key benefits are available including optically bonded vandal resistant front glass, state of the art custom IR Reflector and color matched hot cathode Fluorescent lamps.

Let us know what you like about easy to read drive through menu boards.

Optical Bonding and Display Enhancements

Sometimes displays are used in environments that require greater legibility in direct sunlight or bright ambient lighting conditions. Displays used in avionics, digital signage, vehicle navigation, outdoor television and hand-carried electronic devices generally benefit from better readibility offered when optical bonding with anti-reflective surface treatments is applied. Of course, improved display readability in some of these applications, like aviation and driving a speeding police car, are activities where slow time to perception could be life threatening.

Planar's optical bonding facility, located in Beaverton, OR, can help you with all of your optical bonding requirements. With ISO-9001 quality systems, MIL-spec and FDA-level standards, extensive in-house optical test verification capabilities and class 10,000 certified clean room and other environmental controls in place, you can be assured that your display project will meet your legibility requirements with Planar's optical bonding and surface treatments.

As you might guess, there are many criteria to consider when selecting an optical bonding vendor. However, Planar has made it easy by providing an optical bonding vendor checklist. This checklist provides a list of capabilities and standards you'll want to take into consideration when making a decision about selecting your optical bonding vendor.

Is optical bonding a requirement for your display project?

Optical Bonding and Surface Treatments - Planar Expertise in Electronic Design

Terry Trover, Sr. Product Manager for Planar, recently wrote a great article about many of the considerations in using optical bonding and surface treatments. His biggest challenge was summarizing a ton of information into a two-page article for Electronic Design. Here's a brief excerpt from the article.

Typically, most protective windows and touchscreens adhere to TFT displays with double-sided tape, leaving an air gap between the polarizer surface and the overlay. Yet light reflects when it travels between various mediums with differing indexes of refraction. If you place a transparent protective window on top of a display, light willreflect back at the viewer where the interface of air and glass meet. Light will also reflect back when it exits the medium.

We've assembled additional resources on optical bonding, including an FAQ at PlanarEmbedded.com.

Performance Comparison - Optical Bonding & Performance Films v. Air Gap

Terry Trover, our Sr. Product Manager, recently demonstrated the visual improvements that are possible with optical bonding and LCD enhancements. The slides include photos of a display with four quadrants, each with a different surface treatment.

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