N-trig Fourth Generation DuoSense Single-Chip Solution With Pen And Multi-Touch Computing Review

N-trig has been producing and selling chipsets called DuoSense for a while now, which allow tablets and other touchscreen devices to support both pen-based input and multi-touch computing. The new 4000 series condenses both pen input and multi-touch finger gestures into a combination of one chip and one sensor, letting any entrepreneurial device maker stuff the two control methods into a handheld device with as little as a 5-inch display and the chip line scales all the way to 15.6-inch panels for creatives poking at the screens of laptops and larger Ultrabooks. The new fourth-generation DuoSense chipset family has now been extended to include single-chip solutions and N-trig claims that it is the first company to offer both pen and multitouch capability on a single chip and a single sensor providing a compact and low-power solution for handheld market. N-trig's new chips also support what’s called a chip-on-flex configuration so the chip can be directly mounted and electronically connected to a flexible circuit eliminating the need for controller.

N-trig, providers of the DuoSense pen and multi-touch user interface announced that the fourth generation DuoSense chipset family has been extended to include single-chip solutions. While competing solutions require either two sensors or multiple chips to support pen and multi-touch, N-trig is the first company to offer both on a single chip and a single sensor, providing device manufacturers with a compact, low-power solution and paving the way for N-trig to enter the handheld market. The newest DuoSense chipset is optimized for a variety of screen sizes, ranging from 5-inch handhelds to 11-inch tablets and offers an Analog-IC that allows for support of up to 15.6-inch portable PCs. The DuoSense single-chip solution is the first single-chip on the market to support both pen and multi-touch input for mobile computing, allowing for easier integration and flexibility in thinner and slimmer computing designs. It also offers the ability to support a chip-on-flex configuration, in which the chip is directly mounted and electronically connected to a flexible circuit, eliminating the need for a controller. "Our innovative single-chip solution allows OEMs to offer industry-leading pen and multi-touch input while meeting market demand for lighter, thinner and smaller devices," said Ronen Heldman, VP Marketing, N-trig. "We especially look forward to introducing our unmatched pen and multi-touch capabilities to the handheld market." Chipset engineering samples are already available for customers, and the DuoSense solution will be integrated in a number of Android and Windows/Windows 8-based tablets scheduled for release later this year.The chipset family includes:

• DS-P4048 - Optimized for handheld solutions with screen sizes of 5"-6"
• DS-P4080 - Optimized for mini-tablets with screen sizes of 6"-8"
• DS-P4096 - Optimized for tablets with screen sizes of 9"-11"
• DS-A4016 - An analog-IC that can be used in conjunction with the DS-P4096 to support Ultrabooks and mobile computing devices with screen sizes of up to 15.6"
• DS-D4000 - A Digital-IC together with multiple DS-A4016, is optimized for meeting the increasing demand for narrow designs in the Ultrabook and mobile computing device markets

DuoSense is a dual-mode interface, powered by a single sensor, that uses pen and projected capacitive multi-touch to create on-screen digital input for mobile computers and other products, for a true Hands-on computing experience. DuoSense supports multiple operating systems, including all Windows platforms (Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows XP), Android and Linux. The DuoSense digitizer can be implemented across a variety of screen sizes from 5’’-15.6’’ and from a wide range of form factors including tablets, netbooks, convertibles and desktop replacements and supports a variety of target markets, including education, business, gaming, entertainment, and multimedia. The DuoSense digitizer also features palm rejection capabilities and a rapid stylus refresh rate, resulting in enhanced levels of performance and productivity. Supporting a fully customizable industrial design, with sensor options including black print (for example, a company logo), rounded corners, cutouts, cover and strengthened glass, DuoSense is easily integrated into existing technologies, supports any type of LCD, and keeps devices slim, light and bright. The DuoSense solution provides an integrated pen and multi-touch platform that:

• Tracks both pen and multi-touch input on a single digitizer.
• Differentiates between intentional and inadvertent contact, and allows the user to switch easily and seamlessly between pen and multi-touch.
• Is based on capacitive touch technology, bringing an end to the compromises to pen performance and reliability of traditional resistive touch solutions, eliminating accidental drops or skips, and featuring sub-pixel touch accuracy.
• Offers accurate input, with touch and pen accuracy of 0.4mm.
• Offers fast response time and consistent performance for writing, drag-and-drop, scrolling, and selecting - without degrading stylus input.