touch screens

Can anyone tell me where i can find some information on touch
screens. What they do how they do it how to select the right one.
We have two here at the plant and i do not know anything about them. I don`t know how to program them or trouble shoot them.
What we have is a modicon XBT F034510

The Modicon (Schneider) website would be a place to start--or your local Modicon rep. I have never used their screens.

Most touch panels have a software you design the screen with, cabling to the PLC (PC), and Tags, or addresses to the PLC. Your PLC program uses these tags as binary inputs or outputs.

one other make is Noax touchscreens of which they have several we use them in our high washdown plant and they have been very reliable. The programming is done as per any application that will run on a windows based operating system. As it is merely a pentium 200 cpu with a touchscreen interface.

there are different technologies but basically "touch" part
of the touch-screen is input device that detects contact,
calculates coordinates and presents the position in a fashion
that mimic old PC mouse (RS232). there are companies that
will add "touch" to any screen of your choice (you can go to
BestBuy and pick any monitor or TV you like).
When you are buying industrial PC, pay attention to number
of RS232 ports. units with touch will have one port less
(reserved for touch).

Some tips on designing touchscreen programs;