Wacom Introduces Lower-Power Chipset

Because of its role as an interface between the computer and the user, improvements in digitizer technology are welcome news in the pen computing industry. Recently, Wacom Technology, supplier to leading pen computer manufacturers such as IBM, Toshiba, and Fujitsu, announced that it has improved the chipset it uses with its integrated sensor display (ISD) solution.

Wacom’s ISD consists of the chipset, a battery-free pen, and the sensor board. The new chipset, dubbed the W6004F/W7003F and based on 3.3-volt technology, reduces the power consumption of the pen input system when compared with its previous 5-volt offering. In addition, the chipset has controller circuit area has been reduced to approximately half, while the total height has been reduced by 60%.

The new chipset uses Wacom’s patented electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology which relies on the sensor board to power the pen, making the pen battery-free and thereby reducing its size and weight. The chipset also adds a new power reduction mode called “survey scan.” This enables the user to wake the computer from its system sleep by the tap of the pen.

Wacom’s EMR system enables the sensor to perform proximity sensing, making the cursor visible when the pen is within 15 mm above the sensor grid. Wacom claims its solution is also best suited for measuring dynamic information, such as pressure sensitivity, a feature essential for tasks such as signature verification.

The W6004F and the W7003F are each packaged in a 100-pin TQFP and will be available in sample quantities in July. Wacom expects volume production to begin in September, with pricing for the complete ISD set at $50 in quantities of 100,000.

Wacom Technology Corp.
4633 Old Ironside Drive
Santa Clara, CA
Steve Sechrist
(408) 496-4500
(408) 986-9310 (fax)
[email protected]