Microchip introduces a new line of maXTouch touchscreen controllers

     With the increase of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road, the necessary charging infrastructure must be expanded to meet the growing demand. Adding a credit card payment option to electric vehicle chargers has become standard practice in many countries and is mandatory in the European Union, where chargers must comply with Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards. To help electric vehicle charger designers secure their payment architecture, Microchip Technology has introduced the MXT2952TD 2.0 series of secure touch screen controllers.

     A typical touch-based human-machine interface (HMI) and radio-frequency identification (RFID) combination payment system is vulnerable to hacks such as malware updates or man-in-the-middle attacks when a user enters a personal identification number (PIN) on a touch screen. To prevent hacking, these integrated circuits (ics) are often surrounded by physical mesh barriers and sensors. Constant software refreshes and device resets help protect the integrity of the software.

     The MXT2952TD 2.0 series encrypts touch data and verifies software updates cryptographically to minimize risk and comply with PCI certification standards. When RFID reader integrated circuits and touch screen controllers are located on different printed circuit boards (PCBS), it is particularly difficult and expensive to build physical barriers to protect against hackers. The embedded firmware on the MXT2952TD 2.0 provides EV charger manufacturers with a solution that is easier to implement, able to always comply with safety regulations, and avoids the cost of adding a second expensive touchscreen payment module to the charger.

     The outdoor nature of the HMI of the electric vehicle charger requires that it be able to withstand harsh weather conditions, operate accurately in wet environments, and resist human damage. The touch screen based on the MXT2952TD 2.0 touch controller is designed with IK10-compliant 6mm thick glass, anti-reflection, anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings, and infrared/UV filter layers. Microchip's proprietary differential touch sensing technology has excellent noise resistance, enabling superior touch screen performance even when wearing thick gloves.

     Patrick Johnson, Microchip's senior vice president of Human Machine Interfaces, said: "The maXTouch 2952TD 2.0 series provides EV charger designers with a cost-effective and secure design architecture that enables credit card payments via PIN code input on a touch screen. "Microchip's maXTouch portfolio is known for its rugged outdoor HMI touch screen technology, and this new addition to the 2952TD family of touch screen controllers provides our customers with the safe design and superior touch performance they need for outdoor applications."