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Touch Product Solutions

Texas Instruments' (TI) solutions for touch enabled applications include ultra-low power MSP430 microcontrollers, capacitive and resistive touch screen controllers as well as inertial and piezo haptic actuator drivers.

 
  • Worlds lowest power touch buttons - TI.com
  • 3x5 Multi-touch resistive controller - TSC2020 - TI.com
  • DRV8662 - industry's most highly integrated piezo haptic driver - TI.com


Haptics

Haptic technology has the ability to provide tactile feedback through touch-based interfaces. This touch-based technology has existed for decades and has become extremely popular in handheld, portable and touch-screen enabled consumer electronic devices. The vibrations produced by these devices provide a new, deeply enhanced user experience and unparalleled value.

TI offers a comprehensive set of drivers that are compatible with various haptic actuator technologies including, eccentric rotating mass (ERMs), the increasingly popular linear resonant actuators (LRAs), and cutting edge piezo actuators. TI provides a full spectrum of discrete solutions as well as integrated system solutions for various touch screen controller applications.

Benefits of Haptics (Touch Feedback)

  • Improves task performance
  • Increases end user satisfaction
  • Provides more realistic user experience

Hot 100

  • TI’s DRV8662 piezo haptic driver makes EDN magazine’s Hot 100 Products of 2011
    Read more

Haptics Actuators

  ERM LRA Piezo
Motion Type Rotation Linear Linear
High Definition Haptics No No Yes
Power Good Best Better
Localized Haptics No No Yes
Whole-device Haptics Yes Yes Yes
Drive Voltage 2.5V - 5.5V (peak) 2V (RMS) 50V-200V (pk-to-pk)
Response Time 40-80 ms 20-30 ms <<1 ms
Haptic Driver DRV8601 DRV8601 DRV8662



ERM - Eccentric Rotating Mass

ERM is one of two inertial motor-based haptic actuators, and is the most widely used in the industry today. This actuator has an off center weight that rotates; creating omni-directional waves that propagate throughout the device, enabling whole device haptics.

  • Supported TI Haptics Driver: DRV8601


LRA - Linear Resonant Actuators

Linear Resonant Actuators are increasing in popularity.  LRAs are comprised of a simple magnet attached to a spring that modulates up and down creating its vibrations. Due to composition the LRA can offer a richer user experience in a lower power solution compared to ERMs.

  • Supported TI Haptics Driver: DRV8601


Piezo - Beam and Disk

Piezo are the cutting edge new technology in regards to haptics applications. These device bend when a voltage is applied and it is that bending that creates the foundation of vibration.  Piezo does not have any bandwidth issues associated with LRA or ERMs and offers the widest use of spectrum available giving you a virtually blank canvas of waveforms to work with.

  • Supported TI Haptics Driver: DRV8662