So many things in today’s time come with touch screens – desktop monitors, cell phones, laptops, and even educational projectors utilize touch screens for convenience and the style options they allow. Everywhere from schools to hospitals use touch screens, and thousands of people own touch screen cell phones to make it easier to text and dial numbers. But have you ever stopped to think about how a touch screen actually works? The truth is, touch screens are much simpler than most people think. It’s really just a question of a few basic components and how they work together to function.

The first big component of a touch screen apparatus is the actual screen. The screen part of a touch screen is a clear screen that both shows the display on the phone, monitor or other device and registers when it is touched and where. Speaking generally, the screen part of the touch screen apparatus works by registering a voltage or signal change in the electrical current that runs through the screen when it is touched. This current is extremely low voltage and will not cause any shock or injury when used properly. When the current is interrupted by a touch, the location of the interruption tells the controller (the next part of the apparatus) where the touch occurred.

The controller, the second big component of a touch screen apparatus, is the part of the device that connects the screen sensor itself to the computer or software that responds to the command. It is something called a small PC card, and acts as the middle man in many ways. From the screen to the PC or phone CPU, it translates information about where and what button was pressed on the screen into a command to give to the computer, allowing it to carry it out. For computers, projectors and laptops the controller portion of the apparatus is usually installed in the plastic housing or monitor itself to allow for more accurate transmission. For cell phones with a touch screen, the controller will be found just behind the screen but inside the phone itself.

Finally, the last big component of a touch screen apparatus is the software driver. Software drivers adapt the computer’s operating system to allow the use of a touch screen monitor or display to work properly. Without the correct drivers, pushing an icon on the screen will send a signal to the computer that makes no sense to it, so it cannot carry out the desired task. Most touch screens when bought new come with the proper drivers for your operating system, depending on what system you run. Basically the driver tells the computer that touching the screen is just like clicking an icon with a mouse, and the signal is sent through the controller to the computer in perfect translation. When installed correctly you should have no problem operating your touch screen with any computer or laptop, which makes the software drivers one of the most important components to how a touch screen works.