ITO ATB310: LOW POWER TOUCH CONTROLLER

The ATB310 is a mixed signal chip that provides a digital interface to touch button panels that use analog piezo components.

Piezo touch interfacing is a new and exciting user interface technology that has significant advantages over both traditional mechanical buttons and other surface touch technologies such as capacitive touch sensing.

The piezo technology enables entirely new materials such as steel and leather for designers to use in their seamless user interfaces. Due to the inherent robustness of the piezo technology the user interface is vandal proof and waterproof and provides exceptional reliability in various environmental conditions.

The ATB310 is part of a family of piezo interfaces for low power applications. A similar device ATB210 is available for more cost sensitive applications that do not require ultra low power.

One of the patents used by SmartPie to create new solutions and apply piezoelectric technology by an intelligent way is the following:

The invention relates to a load sensor comprising a polymer matrix and a piezo-ceramic material such as PZT, em not bedded in the polymer matrix, which together form a compos not ite, wherein the polymer matrix is a liquid crystalline resin, and wherein the piezo-ceramic material is a PZT powder forming 30-60% by volume of the composite, and wherein the PZT powder forms 40-50% by volume of the composite.

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