Today?s electronics are fascinating!  I marvel at the LCD touch-screen
control center in many of the newer cars that eliminate switches and
controls and allow the user to advance through graphical menus by
simply touching the screen. I have seen this technology in GPS
systems, entertainment systems for the car and home, and home security
systems.  They all have in common large LCD operator touch-screens and
no keypads or switches.  The software is design with lots of graphs
and menu driven screens for easy use.

As a programmer with over 15 years of experience I would like to enter
into this new world of software engineering.  Unfortunately my
background is in business applications and the world of system
programming and software engineering is a little foreign to me.  With
your help I would like to understand the basics of how the hardware
and software works together to product these amazing product. 
Specifically, I what to know the answer to these questions.  What
language is commonly used to program these devices and why?  How do
the programs communicate with the drivers?  How are the programs
stored and executed?  What development environment is used to create
the code and which ones are most popular?

After I am giving the basics of how the technology works I would links
to resources were I can educate myself more on this topic.  The
resources should be arranged from earlier understanding such as
tutorials, and the basics to more advance resources that talk
specifically about today?s electronic items that I referenced earlier.

In summary, I am looking for an explanation of the technology and
resources that will teach me how to program electronic devices using a
graphical touch screen interface.  What I am not asking for is an
explanation of how touch-screens work (I already know how), or simply
that the code is written in C++, or some other language, and that
drivers are used to control the hardware (too simple of an
explanation).  I want to know the nitty-gritty so that I can teach
myself.

Why I am asking for this knowledge?  My goal is to develop a home
built electronic unit that contains software that allows touch-screen
interactions for controlling some form of hardware such as a radio
tuner, disk drive, or an electronic switch for controlling lights in
your house.

A basic touchscreen has three main components: a touch sensor, a
controller, and a software driver. The touchscreen is an input device,
so it needs to be combined with a display and a PC or other device to
make a complete touch input system.

1. Touch Sensor
A touch screen sensor is a clear glass panel with a touch responsive
surface. The touch sensor/panel is placed over a display screen so
that the responsive area of the panel covers the viewable area of the
video screen. There are several different touch sensor technologies on
the market today, each using a different method to detect touch input.
The sensor generally has an electrical current or signal going through
it and touching the screen causes a voltage or signal change. This
voltage change is used to determine the location of the touch to the
screen.

2. Controller
The controller is a small PC card that connects between the touch
sensor and the PC. It takes information from the touch sensor and
translates it into information that PC can understand. The controller
is usually installed inside the monitor for integrated monitors or it
is housed in a plastic case for external touch add-ons/overlays. The
controller determines what type of interface/connection you will need
on the PC. Integrated touch monitors will have an extra cable
connection on the back for the touchscreen. Controllers are available
that can connect to a Serial/COM port (PC) or to a USB port (PC or
Macintosh). Specialized controllers are also available that work with
DVD players and other devices.

3. Software Driver
The driver is a software update for the PC system that allows the
touchscreen and computer to work together. It tells the computer's
operating system how to interpret the touch event information that is
sent from the controller. Most touch screen drivers today are a
mouse-emulation type driver. This makes touching the screen the same
as clicking your mouse at the same location on the screen. This allows
the touchscreen to work with existing software and allows new
applications to be developed without the need for touchscreen specific
programming. Some equipment such as thin client terminals, DVD
players, and specialized computer systems either do not use software
drivers or they have their own built-in touch screen driver.

http://www.touchscreens.com/intro-anatomy.html


How lcd's screens work.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/lcd.htm

How do touchscreen monitors know where you're touching?

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question716.htm

A good place to start. This is a touch screen jukebox for sale but it
does offers some good ideas that may help you.

http://www.mp3touchscreens.com/about.htm

A couple of links with diagrahms.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:LxnLV2l_CcUJ:www.lambdaphoto.co.uk/pdfs/FiberproFH.pdf+%22lcd+touch+screen%22+%22+diagram%22&hl=en

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:jk1akKpkqLsJ:www.ikegami.com/br/products/switcher/pdf/HSS3000.pdf+%22lcd+touch+screen%22+%22+diagram%22&hl=en

Should you decide to try coding one of those machines then post again.

I started working on touch screens on 1st Feb 1990
- there are tricks

If you really want to build a 'home control' system then start looking
at the peripherals - eg: A/D and D/A convertors and sensors.