The popularity of Samsung’s
Galaxy Note 2 is undeniable
and one of the things that
makes this “phablet” a hit is
its nifty S Pen. While Galaxy
Note 2 can most probably
still secure a top spot in the
highly lucrative mobile market
without the S Pen, it did not
suffer from having it too
either. That Samsung showed
interest in Wacom, the partner
of the South Korean company
in developing the S Pen, is a
telling indicator that the S
Pen is here to stay.
For the uninitiated, the S Pen
is an additional cute little
gadget to a Galaxy Note 2
that looks like a typical pen
that offers a wide range of
interesting things to an
already interesting mobile
gadget. The Galaxy Note 2
can surely work just fine
without the S Pen but it
doesn’t hurt either to use it.
So, how does it work?
Lets find out!
Power Source:
Almost all of the cordless
gadgets today that work in
conjunction with a main
gadget like an S Pen has to
provide their own power in
order to work. Not the S Pen.
Many people wonder, after
knowing that an S Pen does
not have a battery source,
where it draws its power
from. The gadget clearly
communicates with the Note
device so it must have some
form of power to work, right?
A conventional solution to
this problem would be to give
it rechargeable battery pack
that can be recharged when
not in use. S Pen has none of
that. Where does its power
come from then?
The only answer to the
question is from the Note
device itself. Yes, the S Pen
draws its power wirelessly
from the Galaxy Note 2 itself.
Novel idea right? As you can
see, just underneath the
screen of Note 2 itself are a
grid of coils, a circuit board,
and a magnetic reflector.
These components work
together to create an
electromagnetic field that
shoots right through the
outside of the screen. How far
does that electromagnetic
field go? You’ll know how far
from the screen when you
hover the tip of the S Pen and
the “hover” icon shows. That
should give you some idea.
The S Pen itself has its own
set of coils that focuses the
power from the
electromagnetic field to its
own circuits. The power it
draws from the field is used
to communicate instructions
from its buttons to the Note
device.
The electromagnetic field that
provides power to the pen
also ensures that the Galaxy
Note device knows the exact
location of the pen relative to
the screen. Together with the
information from the pen
itself and from its tip are
what is needed by the Note to
know what a user wants to do
with the S Pen
Will the S Pen works on other
devices?
The pen should work with
other devices provided they
the right set of coils behind
the screen to power the pen.
The electromagnetic field is a
result of carefully placed coils
and magnets laid out in a
grid below the screen. If a
device is not equipped with a
correct grid, then it would not
power or even detect the S
Pen.
Unfortunately, there are not
many apps in the Play Store
that utilizes the S Pen
capability yet, considering the
popularity of the Galaxy Note
line of devices.
Galaxy Note 2 is undeniable
and one of the things that
makes this “phablet” a hit is
its nifty S Pen. While Galaxy
Note 2 can most probably
still secure a top spot in the
highly lucrative mobile market
without the S Pen, it did not
suffer from having it too
either. That Samsung showed
interest in Wacom, the partner
of the South Korean company
in developing the S Pen, is a
telling indicator that the S
Pen is here to stay.
For the uninitiated, the S Pen
is an additional cute little
gadget to a Galaxy Note 2
that looks like a typical pen
that offers a wide range of
interesting things to an
already interesting mobile
gadget. The Galaxy Note 2
can surely work just fine
without the S Pen but it
doesn’t hurt either to use it.
So, how does it work?
Lets find out!
Power Source:
Almost all of the cordless
gadgets today that work in
conjunction with a main
gadget like an S Pen has to
provide their own power in
order to work. Not the S Pen.
Many people wonder, after
knowing that an S Pen does
not have a battery source,
where it draws its power
from. The gadget clearly
communicates with the Note
device so it must have some
form of power to work, right?
A conventional solution to
this problem would be to give
it rechargeable battery pack
that can be recharged when
not in use. S Pen has none of
that. Where does its power
come from then?
The only answer to the
question is from the Note
device itself. Yes, the S Pen
draws its power wirelessly
from the Galaxy Note 2 itself.
Novel idea right? As you can
see, just underneath the
screen of Note 2 itself are a
grid of coils, a circuit board,
and a magnetic reflector.
These components work
together to create an
electromagnetic field that
shoots right through the
outside of the screen. How far
does that electromagnetic
field go? You’ll know how far
from the screen when you
hover the tip of the S Pen and
the “hover” icon shows. That
should give you some idea.
The S Pen itself has its own
set of coils that focuses the
power from the
electromagnetic field to its
own circuits. The power it
draws from the field is used
to communicate instructions
from its buttons to the Note
device.
The electromagnetic field that
provides power to the pen
also ensures that the Galaxy
Note device knows the exact
location of the pen relative to
the screen. Together with the
information from the pen
itself and from its tip are
what is needed by the Note to
know what a user wants to do
with the S Pen
Will the S Pen works on other
devices?
The pen should work with
other devices provided they
the right set of coils behind
the screen to power the pen.
The electromagnetic field is a
result of carefully placed coils
and magnets laid out in a
grid below the screen. If a
device is not equipped with a
correct grid, then it would not
power or even detect the S
Pen.
Unfortunately, there are not
many apps in the Play Store
that utilizes the S Pen
capability yet, considering the
popularity of the Galaxy Note
line of devices.
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