Synaptics Debuts ClearPad 1000 Series Touch Sensors for Mass Market

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — Synaptics Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNA), a leading developer of human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications, and entertainment devices, today introduced its ClearPad(TM) 1000 Series capacitive touch sensor solution, expanding its portfolio of market-leading ClearPad offerings to address the growing worldwide demand for mass-market touchscreens, and to provide customers an easy and competitive transition from legacy resistive screen applications. The ClearPad 1000 Series solution combines Synaptics’ patented best-in-class ClearPad sensing technology with the company’s exclusive design-in services to make it easier for OEMs and ODMs of mass-market mobile handsets and other handheld devices to integrate high-resolution capacitive touchscreens with basic gesture capability into their products, bringing them to market faster and with less risk.

Synaptics’ currently shipping ClearPad solution – now branded the ClearPad 2000 Series — and its Enhanced Gesture Suite (EGR(TM)), have achieved tremendous success in bringing the power of touch to mid- and high-end mobile phones. In its efforts to provide a complete portfolio of capabilities to its customers, Synaptics has also introduced the 3000 Series, an advanced solution offering powerful multi-finger gesture support. Leveraging years of delivering a solution that leads in optical clarity, reliability, and power management, with today’s 3000 and 1000 Series announcements, Synaptics has expanded its touch sensor portfolio to serve the growing touchscreen market with a complete portfolio of touch solutions. OEMs can now select from a full range of touch and gesture capabilities, from single-finger touch with simple gestures to multi-finger touch with complex gestures.

“Our ClearPad 1000 Series brings our value to the mass market, and creates the opportunity for our capacitive touch technology to reach worldwide markets through the wave of mobile expansion occurring in BRIC and other emerging regions,” said Tom Tiernan, Synaptics president and COO. “Today, Synaptics is again demonstrating its leadership by providing a full range of touchscreen solutions that go far beyond standalone chip offerings, with the multi-dimensional engineering knowledge, software, services, and support needed to ensure our customers’ success.”

The ClearPad 1000 Series solution is uniquely designed for single-gesture performance and offers the best-in-class edge performance, high accuracy, design flexibility, and manufacturing reliability OEMs need to drive additional value in feature and mass-market touchscreen phones, and other consumer electronic devices. Solid state, durable, and resistant to wear, ClearPad 1000 Series capacitive touch sensors deliver a compelling user experience not possible with legacy touchscreen technology, which is prone to clouding, poor gesture performance, and loss of sensitivity. ClearPad 1000 Series sensors can support single-finger gestures (i.e. tap, double tap, tap and slide, pinch, press and flick) with Synaptics’ Enhanced Gesture Recognition (EGR) option.

“The more sophisticated applications and usage models now appearing on mobile devices require a more sophisticated touchscreen technology to create a better user experience than what legacy technology can offer,” said Tiernan. “ClearPad is an ideal upgrade to existing and competing solutions because it delivers a more responsive, more durable interface with the advanced gestures needed to support modern touch- and gesture-based user interface designs that give users access to a broader range of mobile services and applications.”

ClearPad 1000 Series touch sensors feature an accuracy of +/- 1mm in center, 2mm on edge, are only 0.300 mm thick, have been engineered to require no side borders, and are available in sizes up to 4.3 inches diagonally. ClearPad 1000 Series solutions offer low power consumption with 1.2 mA in full active mode, 150 microamps nominal, and 12 microamps in deep sleep mode for extended battery life.

The new ClearPad sensors feature best-in-class edge performance and superior optical clarity, and require a minimal border width, allowing OEMs to maximize the display interface area and optimize the performance with any LCD technology, especially when using crystal clear OLED displays. High noise immunity, advanced power management, and thin, low-profile designs all promote sleeker, more compact, and stylish product designs.

A Complete Solution Stack

Synaptics’ market leadership is built upon its Solution Stack, a complete and reliable design process which includes systems engineering and system integration, firmware/software design, module design, mixed-signal ASIC development, gesture/character development, human factors/usability, supply and support, concept prototyping, and testing and qualification. The Synaptics Solution Stack addresses multi-dimensional engineering challenges customers face when creating and implementing advanced human interfaces — challenges best solved at specific steps in the design process. Synaptics delivers a broad range of services with deep knowledge in multiple engineering disciplines that go far beyond standard chip offerings, and that integrate these key capabilities to deliver a reliable, highly intuitive human interface that meets customers’ design and usage requirements.

“Handsets today are integrating multiple complex technologies which can and often do interact and interfere with each other, posing significant challenges for design engineers who may lack the specific domain expertise to anticipate and mitigate these issues,” said Amy Leong, research director for Gartner. “OEMs increasingly are relying on technology vendors to provide complete solutions for integrating these products into their designs much more quickly and effectively and with lower risk.”

Availability and Pricing

Synaptics ClearPad 1000 Series engineering samples are available in August 2009. For more information about Synaptics and its ClearPad product line, please visit http://www.synaptics.adamlondon.com/solutions/products/clearpad .

About Synaptics

Synaptics (NASDAQ: SYNA) is a leading developer of human interface solutions for the mobile computing, communications, and entertainment industries. The company creates interface solutions for a variety of devices including notebook PCs, PC peripherals, digital music players, and mobile phones. The TouchPad(TM), Synaptics’ flagship product, is integrated into a majority of today’s notebook computers. Consumer electronics and computing manufacturers use Synaptics’ solutions to enrich the interaction between humans and intelligent devices through improved usability, functionality, and industrial design. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. http://www.synaptics.com