Touchscreens are widely used in mobile phones, tablets, retail, medical, industrial control, and other fields. They consist of a touch detection device (which senses the touch location) and a touchscreen controller (which converts touch signals into coordinates), and support a variety of technologies (such as resistive screens, capacitive screens, infrared screens, etc.).
Touchscreens require an operating system (OS) to run, with common supported systems including:
1. Windows
Features: Strong compatibility, suitable for office and industrial control scenarios, supports software like PowerPoint and Word.
Versions: Win7, Win8, Win10, etc.
Drawbacks: Higher cost, significant maintenance expenses.
2. Android
Features: Open-source, flexible, suitable for mobile devices (such as tablets and smart terminals), rich app ecosystem.
Disadvantages: Less stable than Windows, may be limited in industrial scenarios.
3. Linux
Features: Free, customizable, suitable for industrial embedded devices, strong network functionality.
Disadvantages: Complex operation, not user-friendly for ordinary users.
4. Real-time Embedded System (RTOS)
Commercial-grade (e.g., VxWorks, WinCE): Stable and reliable, suitable for industrial automation, but high-cost.
Free versions (e.g., Embedded Linux, μC/OS): Low cost, suitable for projects with limited budgets.
How to choose?
Office/industrial control → Windows
Mobile devices/retail terminals → Android
Customized/embedded devices → Linux or RTOS
In the future, with the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), the operating systems for touchscreens will become more diverse.