Product category:
Rotary Controls, Joysticks etc
News Release from: Diamond Electronics | Subject: Piccolo Point MiniJoydisk
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 03 July 2001
Tiny input device provides handheld
cursor control
Now available from Diamond Electronics is the world's smallest input device, the Piccolo Point MiniJoydisk.
Now available from Diamond Electronics is the world's smallest input device, the Piccolo Point MiniJoydisk With an exceptionally low profile that measures less than 4mm thick, the touch-sensitive cursor controller packs exceptional functionality into a tiny footprint, resulting in the ability to scroll and point with only a fingertip
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 2 Jan 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Diamond expects the Piccolo Point to be a key component in helping the interactive world leapfrog current hardware technology into the future.
"Everyone is talking about wireless, getting the Internet on their cellphones, megabyte access, WAP, 3G services, Bluetooth etc.
But people can't use buttons to do everything they'd like to now with their handheld devices", said Peter Hall of Diamond.
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"It's inevitable that we will see force-sensing technology become more and more prevalent in products with demanding space constraints as displays increase in size and resolution, and wireless Internet access becomes faster", said Hall, who expects that InControl Solutions' first foray in the cell phone market to prove to be a winner.
With a controller diameter measuring only 10mm, the Piccolo Point is the only pointing device suited to the small form factor of wireless handheld products.
It has a smaller surface area than the average fingertip.
It has only two parts - the sensor and the disk actuator, the sensor consists of a small-printed circuit board that easily connects to the system, and can mould to anything that is being made.
Diamond believes that the Piccolo Point is the lowest priced sensor in the world as is a revolutionary, all-in-one, multi-use device to play games, connect to web pages and scroll through your electronic address or phone book.
Peter Hall added "It has the potential to be in every cellphone and PDA out there".
Unused resources in an existing microcontroller can be used to support pointing.
For example a wireless keyboard can be shared between the Piccolo Point and keyboard software.
The reduced cost, lower power consumption and smaller circuit board area, plus improved reliability, coupled with the Piccolo Point source-code license, make it an attractive integrated solution.
On-site software support by InControl Solutions' engineering team is also available.
Alternatively, InControl can offer a custom microcontroller which emulates a serial or PS/2 mouse and works with standard mouse drivers.
The Piccolo Point processor is an effective way to shorten the time to market and achieve pointing-device modularity.
The mouse compatibility also provides a standard interface for industrial applications.
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