USB Button Panel Overlay Guidelines

Owned by BrightSign TechDocs
Last updated: May 15, 2023
2 min read

Use these guidelines when covering BrightSign button panels with overlays. You should also test your application before broad deployment.

Overlay Materials

  • Plastic, Acrylic, Polycarbonate (PC), Lexan, wood and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) surfaces have all been verified to work.

  • Polyester (PET) and tempered glass materials are also acceptable.

  • Do not use materials that retain a static charge.

Overlay Thickness

  • The overlay material must be 1⁄4” or thinner.

  • If the material is too thick, the buttons will not trigger.

Overlay Air Gaps

  • Ensure there is no air gap between the overlay material and the button panel board.

  • For optimum performance, we recommend utilizing a single sheet of material, and printing or embossing your button graphics to the top surface of the overlay which eliminates the possibility of any air gaps and reduces the risk of material flexure.

  • Multiple sheets of material with the graphics pressed between two sheets of Lexan or ABS has been done with success, but air gaps can be introduced and the overlay thickness overall should still be 1⁄4” or thinner.

Overlay Bonding

  • It is strongly recommended that the button panel be permanently bonded to the overlay material to prevent any PCB board flexure/ warping that may occur over time, especially if exposed to extreme temperatures or temperature swings.

  • Successful integrations have secured the overlay with screws, automotive grade non-conductive RTV silicone, or 3M automotive tape adhesive.

Button Panel Boot-up

  • The device self-calibrates upon every boot-up and is not adjustable in the player hardware or software.

  • BrightSign button pad units are not “hotplugable” therefore they need to be connected to the BrightSign player along with any overlay material including button graphics prior to applying power.

  • Upon boot up, the player checks for any connected BrightSign peripherals, verifies the firmware, and performs a calibration for the capacitive touch.

  • Any changes to the overlay placement or thickness, and disconnecting the button panel and reconnecting the button panel, will nullify the previous calibration.