Pointing device transducer using thick film resistor strain sensors.

摘要

A cursor control pointing device for controlling a computer screen cursor includes a post, a rigid base for the post and thick film resistors on the sides of the post operating as strain gages to sense sideways and front-to-back flexure of the post. The thick film resistors are piezoresistive, changing resistivity with strain. Two resistor divider networks are formed, one with right and left side resistors to sense X-axis flexure, and one with front and back resistors to sense Y-axis flexure. The voltages divided by the networks are processed to form a cursor control signal to move the cursor in X and Y coordinates on the computer display screen. <IMAGE>