Portable System Controller Fingers Touch-Screen Applications

Said to be the first chip to integrate clock/calendar, power monitor, watchdog timer, NVRAM control, and touch-screen control circuits. the DS1680 portable system controller is targeted at touch-screen applications. By integrating this functionality on one chip, the company claims the DS1680 simplifies board setup, cuts manufacturing costs, saves space, and reduces chip count in products utilizing touch-screen technology. The products include PDAs, POS systems, Internet appliances, and interactive detectors, sensors and testers.
The IC is optimized for handheld products that use 4-wire resistive touch-screens. Using an on-chip A/D converter, the DS1680 determines the X-Y plane coordinates of the contact position and then feeds the information to the processor. The DS1680 is available in versions for 3.3V and 5V supplies. Both versions of the controller chip are packaged in a 44-pin MQFP and priced at $5.04 each/1,000.