Active pen

An active pen (also referred to as active stylus) is an input device that includes electronic components and allows users to write directly onto the display of a computing device such as a <a href="/facts/Smartphone/cSIrBMWG">smartphone</a>, <a href="/facts/Tablet_computer/6pGX2I7b">tablet computer</a> or <a href="/facts/Ultrabook/zYdlujhX">ultrabook</a>. The active pen marketplace has long been dominated by <a href="/facts/N-trig/T87LK23d">N-trig</a> and <a href="/facts/Wacom_(company)/lWjyfaPU">Wacom</a>, but newer firms <a href="/facts/Atmel/kIDF6tmA">Atmel</a> and <a href="/facts/Synaptics/TnKed0Qr">Synaptics</a> also offer active pen designs.
An active pen is generally larger and has more features than a <a href="/facts/Stylus_(computing)/j5e1x0vf">stylus</a>. Digital pens typically contain internal electronics and have features such as touch sensitivity, input buttons, memory, writing data transmission capabilities, and electronic erasers.
The main difference between an active pen and the input device known as a <a href="/facts/Passive_stylus/j5e1x0vf">passive stylus</a> or passive pen is that although the latter can also be used to write directly onto the screen, it does not include electronics and thus lacks all of the features that are unique for an active pen: touch sensitivity, input buttons, etc.
Active pen devices support most modern <a href="/facts/Operating_systems/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a>, including Google's <a href="/facts/Android_(operating_system)/nNyHb0xz">Android</a> and <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a>.
Active pens carried out by manufacturers such as Wacom Pro Pen 2 and Huion PW500/PW507 can support 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition with accuracy. Tilt feature of the active pen helps create natural-looking pen, brush, and eraser strokes in applications that support tilt sensitivity.

Active pen open-in-new

Active pen