IEC 62908-12-20:2019

Overview

IEC 62908-12-20:2019 - "Touch and interactive displays - Part 12-20: Measurement methods of touch displays - Multi-touch performance" is an IEC international standard that specifies standard measuring conditions and measurement methods for assessing multi-touch performance of a touch sensor module. It applies where the structural relationship between touch sensor, controller, sensor module and display is defined (see IEC 62908‑1‑2).

This standard defines the test environment, measuring equipment (test bars, moving arm, stage), test‑bar selection and placement, and a set of measurement methods for multi‑touch behaviors such as simultaneous touch capacity, adjacent‑touch performance, rotation, pinch drift, sliding, crosstalk and fast tap responsiveness.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Standard measuring conditions
  • Temperature: 25 °C ± 3 °C
  • Relative humidity: 25 % RH to 85 % RH
  • Atmospheric pressure: 86 kPa to 106 kPa
• Measuring equipment
  • Composition: two or more test bars, a moving arm, and a stage to generate known touched coordinates and motion profiles.
  • Reporting: any additional equipment must be reported.
• Test bar specification
  • Shapes: half‑sphere, cylinder (examples given)
  • Materials: brass, conductive polyamide resin (examples)
  • Diameters: example sizes include 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15 mm
• Measurement methods (selected)
  • Multi‑touch support: determine the maximum number of simultaneous touch points the sensor reports and the report rate.
  • Adjacent touch distance & accuracy: define minimum spacing and positional accuracy when touches are close.
  • Rotation: verify touch tracking when touch objects rotate.
  • Pinch motion drifting: measure center drift during pinch gestures.
  • Multi‑touch sliding, crosstalk, and fast tap: assess simultaneous sliding, false detections between touch points, and quick tap recognition.
• Reporting requirements
  • Test setup, environmental conditions, test bar details, and measured metrics (e.g., maximum supported touches, accuracy, drift) must be documented.

Applications and who uses it

• Touch sensor and controller manufacturers validating multi‑touch performance.
• Display module integrators and OEMs evaluating touch/display combinations.
• Quality assurance and compliance laboratories performing standardized functional tests.
• Product managers and engineers benchmarking touch responsiveness and multi‑finger interaction for smartphones, tablets, laptops, interactive kiosks, and automotive displays.

Related standards

• IEC 62908‑1‑2 - Terminology and structural definitions for touch/display modules
• IEC 62908‑12‑10 - Touch and electrical performance measurement methods
• IEC 60068‑1 - Environmental testing - general guidance

Keywords: IEC 62908-12-20, multi-touch performance, touch displays, touch sensor module, measurement methods, test bar, adjacent touch distance, rotation, pinch drift.