The Interactive Surface Technology (IST) technology is an evolution of 3M’s projected capacitive touch technology (NFI). Its unique design is based on the fact that the interactive touch surface is constructed of a flexible, polyester layer that can be laminated to the front of any surface, laminated to the back of any surface, or applied to a contoured surface. The substrate for lamination can be plexiglass, polycarbonate, plastic, glass, laminated glass or any other non-conductive surface. In addition, MicroTouch IST can support “on display” use with LCD panels or “off display” use creating touch pad or button interface designs not using a display.
This new technology platform addresses the needs of traditional touch application segments such as retail, point-of-sale, kiosks, and industrial. It also expands the possibilities of touch for new emerging applications, such as outdoor environments, mobile and handheld devices, and on- and off-display implementation for use in automobiles. In addition, the flexible foundation of this technology – the polyester touch layer – allows off-display, button-like implementations under leather, vinyl, cloth, or molded plastics.
Contributions to the product:
| Conceptualization and Research | Software Development Process |
| New coordinate interpolation algorithm Math support enhancements for fast touch processing | Overall firmware development process Internal coding standards Development tools selection Version control system Bug tracking system |
| Written Specifications and Procedures | Embedded Software Architecture and Design |
| Hardware requirements and system I/O mapping Functional specification Simulation/emulation environment specification New communication protocol transition | Simulation/emulation design Overall firmware architecture Firmware design documents |
| Code Development | Testing & Debugging |
| Board start-up and boot-loader Device drivers Non-volatile memory management Real-time framework Communication protocol stack Command interpreter | Firmware debug support Exception/error handler Performance analysis tools PC testing software platform Diagnostic tools for R&D Touch controller functional tester |
| Technical leadership | Intellectual Property |
| Training and mentorship for the firmware team Design authority and knowledge sharing |