Active pen
{{short description|Type of input device}}
File:Wacom Bamboo Capture tablet and pen.jpg
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 smartphone, tablet computer or ultrabook.{{cite web|last=Hughes|first=Andrew|title=Active Pen Input and the Android Input Framework|url=http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1568&context=theses|work=M.S. thesis|publisher=California Polytech State University|year=2011|page=2|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611232333/http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1568&context=theses|archive-date=2014-06-11}} The active pen marketplace has long been dominated by N-trig{{cite web|last=Cooper|first=Andrew|title=N-trig Release Teases that Fujitsu's Stylistic Q702 will Come with Active Pen Support|url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/09/24/n-trig-pen-fujitsu-stylistic-q702/|work=Engadget.com|accessdate=February 28, 2014|date=September 12, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209155435/http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/24/n-trig-pen-fujitsu-stylistic-q702/|archive-date=December 9, 2013}} and Wacom,{{cite web|last=Kendrick|first=James|title=Wacom Digitizer for Smartphones|url=http://gigaom.com/2004/09/28/wacom_digitizer/|work=GigaOm.com|access-date=February 28, 2014|date=September 28, 2004|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828191441/http://gigaom.com/2004/09/28/wacom_digitizer/|archive-date=August 28, 2014}} but newer firms Atmel{{cite web|last=Takahashi|first=Dean|title=New Sensors Could Lower the Cost of Touchscreen Pens – and Make Them as Good as Pen and Paper|url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/01/07/new-sensors-could-lower-the-cost-of-touchscreen-pens-and-make-them-as-good-as-pen-and-paper/|work=VentureBeat.com|accessdate=February 28, 2014|date=January 7, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228112937/http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/07/new-sensors-could-lower-the-cost-of-touchscreen-pens-and-make-them-as-good-as-pen-and-paper/|archive-date=February 28, 2014}} and Synaptics{{cite web|last=Gasior|first=Geoff|title=Synaptics Intros Pressure-Sensitive Stylus Tech for Win8.1|url=http://techreport.com/news/25521/synaptics-intros-pressure-sensitive-stylus-tech-for-win8-1|work=techreport.com|accessdate=February 28, 2014|date=October 17, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021081317/http://techreport.com/news/25521/synaptics-intros-pressure-sensitive-stylus-tech-for-win8-1|archive-date=October 21, 2013}} also offer active pen designs.
An active pen is generally larger and has more features than a stylus. Digital pens typically contain internal electronics and have features such as touch sensitivity, input buttons, memory, writing data transmission capabilities, and electronic erasers.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RT2nDtioi3sC&q=stylus&pg=PT218|title=Discovering Computers: Fundamentals|last=Shelly|first=Gary B.|publisher=Cengage Learning|year=2009|isbn=978-0-495-80638-7|author2=Misty E. Vermaat|accessdate=3 November 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215064144/https://books.google.com/books?id=RT2nDtioi3sC&lpg=PT218&ots=XcwPsIjdBw&dq=%22a%20stylus%20is%20a%22&pg=PT218#v=onepage&q=stylus&f=false|archive-date=15 February 2017}}
The main difference between an active pen and the input device known as a passive stylus 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 operating systems, including Google's Android and Microsoft Windows.{{cite web|url=http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/10/21/android-getting-native-active-pen-support-in-ice-cream-sandwich/|title=Android Getting Native Active Pen Support in Ice Cream Sandwich|date=October 21, 2011|publisher=Notebooks.com Inc.|work=GottaBeMobile.com|accessdate=January 6, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402173106/http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/10/21/android-getting-native-active-pen-support-in-ice-cream-sandwich/|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}
Active pens carried out by manufacturers such as Wacom Pro Pen 2{{Cite web |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=2016-10-10 |title=Wacom's latest tablet PC has a pen with 8,192 levels of sensitivity |url=https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/10/10/13225680/wacom-mobilestudio-pro-tablet-pro-pen-2-4k-pc |website=The Verge}} and Huion PW500/PW507{{Cite news |date=2018-08-08 |title=With Outstanding Technology, HUION Launches New Battery-free Pen Display KAMVAS Pro 13 |url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/with-outstanding-technology-huion-launches-new-battery-free-pen-display-kamvas-pro-13-1027444608 |work=Market Insiders}} 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.{{Cite web |title=What is Tilt? |url=https://www.wacom.com/en/sitecore/content/shared%20data/support/faqs/popular%20faqs/what%20is%20tilt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108184357/https://www.wacom.com/en/sitecore/content/shared%20data/support/faqs/popular%20faqs/what%20is%20tilt |archive-date=2018-11-08 |access-date=2018-11-08 |website=Wacom}}
Use
File:ActivePenSensitivity1.jpg
Active pens are typically used for note taking, on-screen drawing/painting and electronic document annotation, as well as accurate object selection and scrolling.{{cite web|last=Linenberger|first=Michael|title=The Importance of an Active Digitizer Pen|url=http://michaellinenberger.com/blog/the-importance-of-an-active-digitizer-pen/|work=MichaelLinenberger.com|accessdate=January 6, 2014|date=October 16, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218035244/http://michaellinenberger.com/blog/the-importance-of-an-active-digitizer-pen/|archive-date=February 18, 2014}} When used in conjunction with handwriting recognition software, the active pen's handwritten input can be converted to digital text, stored in a digital document, and edited in a text or drawing application.
Active and positional pens
The electronic components generate wireless signals that are picked up by a digitizer and transmitted to its dedicated controller, providing data on pen location, pressure and other functionalities. Additional features enabled by the active pen's electronics include palm rejection to prevent unintended touch inputs, and hover, which allows the computer to track the pen's location when it is held near, but not touching the screen.{{cite book|last=Bricklin|first=Dan|title=Bricklin on Technology|year=2009|publisher=Wiley Publishing|location=Indianapolis, IN|isbn=978-0-470-40237-5|page=283}} Most active pens feature one or more function buttons (e.g. eraser and right-click) that can be used in the place of a mouse or keyboard.
Technology groups
File:Wacom Pentable Pen.jpg digital pen]]
;Active: Active pens, such as N-trig's DuoSense Pen, include electronic components whose signals are picked up by a mobile device's built-in digitizer and transmitted to its controller, providing data on pen location, pressure, button presses and other functionality.
;Positional: Position-based digital pens use a facility to detect the location of the tip during writing. Some models can be found on graphics tablets made popular by Wacom, and on tablet computers using Wacom's Penabled technology.
;Capacitive (multitouch compatible): Capacitive pens multitouch compatible, generate a signal used by multitouch screen to detect the location of the tip during its movement while writing or drawing. They are compatible with most smartphones and tablets with capacitive-multitouch screen as iPhone, iPad, Samsung, LG, etc.