Compact and high-linearity sensor ideal for stylus pens in smartphones

Alps Alpine has launched a new model in its HSFPAR Series of force sensors. Mass production of the company's smallest Force Sensor began in June 2020.

The company developed and commenced mass production of the sensor, which fits into the tip of a stylus pen for tablet PCs to facilitate accurate reproduction of drawing thickness corresponding to the pressure applied. Delivering high sensitivity, high resolution and high linearity, as well as exceptional impact resistance, the sensor has been well received by numerous customers.

Now the company has developed this sensor, with a footprint of only 40% of the HSFPAR004A while preserving the basic performance abilities of the earlier product.

The sensor detects stress as light as zero stroke (0.01N), allowing applications in robot arms and other parts of industrial equipment handling precision devices. The product offers a wide range of potential applications as a sensor for detecting force along the Z-axis. For example, it can be embedded under a touch panel or capacitive sensor to recognise force applied to the operating surface and even determine whether an input operation was intentional or a mistake.