Product category:
Touchscreens and Touch Sensors
News Release from: Elo Touchsystems | Subject: XN Corp
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 14 June 2002
Novel EPoS display uses dual
touchscreens
When XN Corp produced its XN500 dual-screen EPoS touchscreen terminal, it selected Elo TouchSystems' five-wire resistive touchscreen technology, AccuTouch.
XN Corp is a developer of innovative, web-based solutions for the hospitality and retail marketplaces When the company produced its XN500 dual-screen electronic point of sale (EPoS) touchscreen terminal, it wanted to employ the best possible touch technology available on the market
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 5 Dec 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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It selected Elo TouchSystems' five-wire resistive touchscreen technology, AccuTouch, as it brought a number of benefits, including high reliability and cost effectiveness to the system.
The system consists of a small footprint, dual-screen EPoS terminal originally devised for one-to-one, consultative selling applications where the customer and sales consultant face each other, with a screen each.
When the sales consultant makes a selection from the touchscreen on their side of the terminal, the customer on the opposite side sees the selection made on their screen.
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In addition, the customer may also make a selection at any time as both touchscreens are driven and react simultaneously.
Because touch is intuitive, staff and customers don't need any formal training to use the system, allowing the customer and the sales assistant to concentrate on fulfilling the requirements.
Based on the Windows platform, to maximise development flexibility, the dual-screen XN500 is easily adapted and lends itself to many other applications.
For example, in quick service restaurant environments, both the customer and the sales assistant see the same screen data.
Only the sales assistant's side needs the touch interface for order entry, while the customer side displays the order and sales price.
While the sales assistant prepares the order, creative programming of the onscreen sales message will also encourage further sales, for example: "do you want fries with that order, sir?".
This, and similar messages can be displayed on the sales assistant's side only, or on both screens simultaneously.
Again, minimal training is required, making the system ideal for new and untrained staff to get up to speed and concentrate on the job at hand.
Another emerging application is the deployment of the XN500 in amusement games.
The power of the terminal is built in to the compact modular terminal, bringing true counter and bar-top amusement applications to any leisure environment.
The dual touchscreen means simultaneous multi player amusements become a reality as players can take part in a multiple choice quiz playing against the system or an opponent, participate in skill games, in addition to playing popular card games.
At the heart of the system is a powerful, Windows-based PC with Internet connection, a dual-screen TFT LCD, Elo's AccuTouch five-wire resistive touchscreen for reliability, and an extensive set of diagnostic tools, including Elo's own touchscreen diagnostics package and chip controller called Coach.
The diagnostic tools enable active state-of-health monitoring of the complete system, alerting the store manager, or even XN Corporation's operations, as required, when corrective action might be needed.
For example, the touchscreen's diagnostic tools can monitor for foreign object contamination, touchscreen sensitivity or damage which may degrade performance over time.
Even the fan and system temperature are monitored to ensure system longevity.
Designed as standard for use with two 12.1in TFT LCD panels, using Elo's MonitorMice software, the system allows simultaneous use of the two touchscreen displays, driven from a single PC and positioned up to five meters away from the PC itself.
Additionally, XN has developed a range of designer displays in 15, 18 and 21in versions available with AccuTouch, IntelliTouch or SecureTouch and housed in attractive, colour-matched aluminium housings to grace any retail setting.
IntelliTouch and SecureTouch use a different touch technology, called surface wave, and are ideal for public-access applications.
Both use a solid glass overlay for outstanding display brightness, and SecureTouch uses 6mm tempered glass for the ultimate in vandal resistance and safety.
Bob Sawyer, XN Corp VP International Sales said: "The critical component of our system is the touchscreen, and that's why we put the top touchscreen suppliers and their products through an exhaustive testing programme.
We settled on Elo's AccuTouch touchscreen technology for a combination of its excellent diagnostics package and the touchscreen's all round reliability, durability and performance.
Additionally, we found the AccuTouch brand name to be highly respected and specified in the retail and hospitality market, making our touchscreen PCs easier to sell as a result".
Bob Sawyer continued: "In an EPoS application, the system is often subject to high use and accidental spillage of foods and liquids.
In retail, under these situations, reliability is critical as system failure means our customers are unable to process orders and take money.
Sealable to IP65, the touchscreen provides added protection to the system in a fast-food application, and the screen is simply wiped clean, as required, to retain full hygiene and performance.
Furthermore, we were delighted with the extensive support and service from Elo's technical and support staff in helping us to develop the most appropriate touchscreen solution.
Elo's support team were not satisfied with simply offering a solution.
They worked closely with our R and D group to help us break new ground in touchscreen functionality on the XN500.
Over time, Elo's touchscreen technology has proved its reliability with zero defects and no quality problems at all, from many thousands of installations around the world, in the last two years".
The XN500 continues to be rolled out across a wide range of applications where consultative selling, fast-food and amusement applications demand high performance with compact, reliable systems.
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