ACADEMIA

Synaptics announced the latest addition to its ClearPad Series 7 premier touchscreen family, the single ASIC ClearPad 7300 solution. Supporting up to 12-inch touchscreens with high-performance tracking of 10 or more fingers, the ClearPad 7300 is designed for the rapidly growing tablet market, including both Google Android and Microsoft Windows 8 devices.

Synaptics ClearPad 7300 enables OEMs to deliver the most compelling and highly-differentiated tablet devices to market with the shortest development times and lowest costs. Its single ASIC architecture enables thinner and lighter tablet designs by reducing internal space and power requirements. This results in a reduction of overall total system costs, with easier integration and optimized component space requirements that only a single ASIC solution can provide.

ClearPad 7300's advanced touch controller silicon and SignalClarity Technology improve tracking accuracy and finger separation, as well as robust environmental and electrical noise immunity for an unmatched user experience. ClearPad 7300 leverages Synaptics Design Studio 4 (DS4), the ClearPad development solution embedded with patented SignalClarity Technology. Synaptics DS4 offers the most advanced and comprehensive touch system tools in the market and accelerates the ClearPad development cycle. It empowers customers to design, evaluate and optimize the performance and touch experience, while streamlining the implementation of their custom ClearPad sensor solution.

The ClearPad 7300 continues Synaptics' long tradition of driving improved industrial designs across platforms with solutions ideally suited for Google Android, Microsoft Windows 8 and other operating systems. Synaptics' single ASIC solutions simplify design complexity in comparison to competitive multi-chip solutions and offer multiple sensor integration options, including sensor on lens, on-cell and discrete sensor implementations.

As a Microsoft co-engineering partner, Synaptics works closely with the Windows ecosystem to develop solutions that maximize Microsoft's "Touch First" experience for Windows 8. Synaptics' long-time leadership in the TouchPad space puts the company in the unique position of pursuing two "footprint" opportunities in the notebook form factor - both TouchPad(TM) and touchscreen devices.

"The ClearPad 7300 delivers the industry-leading performance, form factor and value that are needed to drive today's large touchscreen electronic devices," said Kevin Barber, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Synaptics' Handheld business.

"With our industry-leading system-level design and integration expertise, backed by our ecosystem partnerships, Synaptics is playing a significant role in driving the new wave of touch-based computing interactions in Windows 8," added Mark Vena, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Synaptics' PC business.

Multiple tablet programs employing Synaptics ClearPad 7300 are in active development and are expected to reach the market by mid-2012.