Touch Data Capture Service

A Windows service that captures raw HID (Human Interface Device) touch input from touch screens and forwards the data to a serial device (e.g., ESP32) for further processing.

📋 Table of Contents

Overview
Features
System Requirements
Quick Start
Command-Line Arguments
Configuration
Touch Data Format
Dynamic Coordinate Scaling
Logging
Process Bypass Feature
Troubleshooting
Contributing
License

🔍 Overview

This service intercepts touch events at the HID level, decodes comprehensive touch data including coordinates, pressure, contact information, and forwards it via serial communication. It features dynamic coordinate scaling, process filtering, and multiple logging formats for debugging and analysis.

Architecture

Touch Screen (HID) → Raw Input API → Touch Decoder → Serial Queue → Serial Port (ESP32) ↓ Log Files (Raw/Decoded/Detailed)

Project Structure

./ 
├── Program.cs              # Main application and HID processing 
├── Helpers/ 
│   └── WindowProcess.cs    # Window and process detection utilities 
└── bin/ 
	└── Release/ 
		└── net10.0/        # Build output
			└── win-x64/
				└── publish/
					└── TouchDataCaptureService.exe  # Published executable

✨ Features

Core Functionality

Raw HID Touch Capture - Intercepts touch events directly from HID devices using Windows Raw Input API
Comprehensive Touch Decoding - Extracts all available touch parameters:
- Position (X/Y coordinates)
- Contact ID and count
- Tip switch state
- Pressure sensitivity
- Contact dimensions (width/height)
- Orientation (azimuth, altitude, twist)
- Confidence and in-range detection

Serial Communication

High-Speed Serial Output - Default 3Mbps baud rate (configurable)
Asynchronous Queue System - Non-blocking send/receive with dedicated threads
Configurable Data Format - Send raw HID bytes or decoded touch data
Optional Serial Logging - Debug serial communication when needed

Advanced Features

Dynamic Coordinate Scaling - Automatically normalizes touch coordinates to HID standard range (0-32767)
Process Detection & Filtering - Optional bypass for specific applications
Multi-touch Support - Handles up to 10 simultaneous contacts
Real-time Calibration - Press 'R' key to reset coordinate scaling
Multiple Log Formats - Raw bytes, decoded summary, and detailed human-readable logs

💻 System Requirements

Hardware

Operating System: Windows 11
Touch Screen: HID-compliant touch device
Serial Port: Physical COM port, USB-to-Serial adapter, or virtual COM port
Disk Space: Minimum 100 MB (for application and logs)

Software

.NET Runtime: .NET 10 Runtime or SDK
Serial Drivers: Appropriate drivers for your serial device
- CH340/CH341 for common USB-Serial adapters
- FTDI drivers for FTDI chips
- CP210x drivers for Silicon Labs chips

Permissions

Administrator Rights - Required for HID device access during runtime

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

Install .NET 10 Runtime
- Download from: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/10.0
- Or use winget
```
 winget install Microsoft.DotNet.Runtime.10	
```

Download or Build the Application

Clone repository

git clone https://github.com/<your-organization>/ifpd-touchback-floatingmenu.git
cd ifpd-touchback-floatingmenu

Build Release version
```
 dotnet build -c Release
```

Install Serial Drivers (if using USB-to-Serial adapter)
- Download the appropriate driver for your serial device:
  - CH340/CH341: Download from manufacturer
  - FTDI: Download from FTDI
  - CP210x: Download from Silicon Labs
- Install the downloaded driver:
  1. Run the driver installer as Administrator
  2. Follow the installation wizard
  3. Restart your computer if prompted
- Verify driver installation in Device Manager:
```
 devmgmt.msc
```
  1. Expand Ports (COM & LPT)
  2. Look for your device (e.g., "USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM3)")
  3. Note the COM port number (e.g., COM3, COM10)
  4. If you see a yellow warning icon, right-click and select Update driver
- Alternative: List COM ports using PowerShell
```
 Get-WmiObject Win32_SerialPort | Select-Object Name,DeviceID
```
Run the Application
- Navigate to build output
```
 cd bin\Release\net10.0
```
- Run with default settings (COM10, 3Mbps)
```
 .\TouchDataCaptureService.exe
```
- Or with custom settings (replace COM3 with your actual COM port)
```
 .\TouchDataCaptureService.exe --port COM3 --baudrate 115200
```

First Run

Connect your serial device (ESP32, Arduino, etc.)
Identify the COM port (Device Manager → Ports)
Run the application as Administrator
Calibrate coordinates by touching all four corners of the screen
Verify data in log files or serial monitor

⚙️ Command-Line Arguments

Basic Usage

TouchDataCaptureService.exe [options]

Available Options

Argument	Description	Default	Example
`-port <COMx>`	Set serial port	COM10	`-port COM3`
`--port <COMx>`	Set serial port (long form)	COM10	`--port COM3`
`-baudrate <value>`	Set baud rate	3000000	`-baudrate 115200`
`--baudrate <value>`	Set baud rate (long form)	3000000	`--baudrate 115200`
`-useraw`	Send raw HID bytes instead of decoded data	Disabled	`-useraw`
`--useraw`	Send raw HID bytes (long form)	Disabled	`--useraw`
`-seriallog`	Enable serial communication logging	Disabled	`-seriallog`
`--seriallog`	Enable serial logging (long form)	Disabled	`--seriallog`
`-h` or `--help`	Show help message	N/A	`--help`

Examples

Basic usage with default settings
```
 TouchDataCaptureService.exe
```

Custom COM port

 TouchDataCaptureService.exe --port COM5

Multiple arguments

 TouchDataCaptureService.exe --port COM3 --baudrate 115200 --seriallog

Raw data mode

 TouchDataCaptureService.exe --port COM4 --useraw

View help
```
 TouchDataCaptureService.exe --help
```

🔧 Configuration

Default Settings

Serial Port: COM10
Baud Rate: 3000000 (3Mbps)
Data Bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop Bits: One
Handshake: None
Log Mode: RawAndDecoded
Process Bypass: Always Enabled
Serial Logging: Disabled

Log Modes

The application supports three logging modes (configured in code):

RawOnly - Only raw HID bytes
DecodedOnly - Only decoded touch data
RawAndDecoded - Both formats (default)

To change the log mode, modify CurrentLogMode in Program.cs:

private static readonly LogMode CurrentLogMode = LogMode.RawAndDecoded;

Serial Configuration Notes

⚠️ Important: Baud Rate Limitations

Maximum baud rate: 3000000 (3 Mbps)

Synchronization requirement: The baud rate configured in this service must match exactly with the baud rate configured in the MCU project (e.g., ESP32).

Exceeding 3 Mbps may cause data corruption or communication failures.

Common stable rates: 9600, 115200, 921600, 3000000

Data Format Configuration

📌 Note: Raw vs Decoded Data Mode

Default mode: Decoded data (CSV format)

Current MCU project configuration: Configured to receive and parse decoded data

To use raw data mode (--useraw flag): The MCU project firmware must be updated to parse raw HID byte format instead of CSV format

Ensure both the service and MCU firmware are synchronized on the data format being used

📊 Touch Data Format

Serial Output Format (Decoded Mode)

The service sends touch data in CSV format over serial:

TOUCH,<X>,<Y>,<ContactID>,<TipSwitch>,<Pressure>,<InRange>,<Confidence>,<Width>,<Height>,<Azimuth>,<Altitude>,<Twist>,<ContactCount>

Field Descriptions

Field	Type	Range	Description
X	int	0-32767	Horizontal coordinate (scaled)
Y	int	0-32767	Vertical coordinate (scaled)
ContactID	int	0-9	Unique identifier for this touch point
TipSwitch	bool	0/1	Touch contact state (0=no touch, 1=touching)
Pressure	int	Device-dependent	Touch pressure (if supported)
InRange	bool	0/1	Proximity detection (hovering)
Confidence	bool	0/1	Touch confidence level
Width	int	Device-dependent	Contact width (if supported)
Height	int	Device-dependent	Contact height (if supported)
Azimuth	int	0-360	Rotation around Z-axis (degrees)
Altitude	int	0-90	Angle from screen surface (degrees)
Twist	int	Device-dependent	Stylus twist (if supported)
ContactCount	int	1-10	Total number of simultaneous contacts

Example Output

TOUCH,16384,8192,0,1,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1 
TOUCH,24576,16384,1,1,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,2

Interpretation:

First touch at center-right (16384, 8192), single contact
Second touch at lower-right (24576, 16384), two total contacts

📏 Dynamic Coordinate Scaling

How It Works

The service automatically normalizes touch coordinates from device-specific ranges to the standard HID range (0-32767).

Initial Sampling - Collects first 10 touch samples
Range Detection - Determines min/max X/Y values from HID logical ranges
Normalization - Scales all coordinates to 0-32767 range
Continuous Updates - Adjusts scaling as needed

Calibration Process

For best results, calibrate by touching all four corners:

Top-Left Corner - Establishes minimum X and Y
Top-Right Corner - Establishes maximum X
Bottom-Left Corner - Establishes maximum Y
Bottom-Right Corner - Confirms full range

Manual Reset

Press the 'R' key while the application is running to reset scaling and recalibrate.

Scaling Formula

scaledX = ((rawX - minX) * 32767) / (maxX - minX) scaledY = ((rawY - minY) * 32767) / (maxY - minY)

Scaling Information

The service logs scaling information every 50 samples when run in Debug mode:

[SCALING] Range: X(0-65535=65535) Y(0-65535=65535) | Raw(32768,16384) -> Scaled(16384,8192)

📝 Logging

Log Files

All log files are created in the application directory:

File	Content	Format
`hid_raw.log`	Raw HID report bytes	Hex dump
`hid_decoded.log`	Decoded touch data	Compact summary
`hid_detailed.log`	Detailed touch parameters	Human-readable
`serial_data.log`	Serial TX/RX data	Timestamped (optional)

Log File Examples

Raw Log Format

09:15:23.456 [RAW] Device:HID_12345678 Size:32 Data:05-01-40-7F-20-3F-00-01...

Decoded Log Format

09:15:23.456 [HID] Dev:HID_12345678 RID:5 CNT:1 X:16384 Y:8192 CID:0 TIP:1 RNG:1 CONF:1 PRESS:0 W:0 H:0 AZ:0 ALT:0 TWIST:0

Detailed Log Format

09:15:23.456 [DETAILED] Timestamp: 09:15:23.456 | Device: 12345678 | ReportID: 5 | ContactCount: 1 | Position: (16384, 8192) | ContactID: 0 | TipSwitch: True | InRange: True | Confidence: True | ProcessName: chrome | ProcessID: 5432

Serial Log Format (when enabled)

09:15:23.456 TX: TOUCH,16384,8192,0,1,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1 09:15:23.457 
RX: OK

Log Headers

Log files include descriptive headers explaining the format:

HID Touch Data Decoded Log
Generated: 2026-03-20 09:15:00
Log Mode: RawAndDecoded
Serial Port: COM10 @ 3000000 baud

Column Format:

Timestamp [Type] Device ReportID ContactCount X Y ContactID TipSwitch [...]

🚫 Process Bypass Feature

Purpose

The service automatically skips touch events originating from specific applications, preventing interference with UI overlays. This feature is always enabled by default.

Bypassed Processes (Default)

FloatingMenu - Floating menu application
ScreenPaint - Annotation tool

How It Works

Touch Detected - Service captures HID coordinates
Coordinate Conversion - Converts HID coordinates to screen coordinates
Process Detection - Identifies which process owns the window at that location
Filtering - Skips logging and serial transmission if process is in bypass list

🔧 Troubleshooting

1. Serial Port Issues

Problem: Failed to open serial port COM10

Solutions:

Check available COM ports in Device Manager under Ports (COM & LPT).
List COM ports with PowerShell

Get-WmiObject Win32_SerialPort | Select-Object Name,DeviceID

Verify port is not in use

Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.MainWindowTitle -like "COM10"}

Run as Administrator

Start-Process TouchDataCaptureService.exe -Verb RunAs

2. No Touch Data Received

Problem: Application runs but no touch events are captured

Solutions:

Verify touch screen is working

Check HID devices

Get-PnpDevice -Class HIDClass | Where-Object {$_.FriendlyName -like "touch"}

Run as Administrator - Required for HID access
Check log files for error messages

3. Coordinate Scaling Issues

Problem: Coordinates are out of range or inaccurate

Solutions:

Reset scaling - Press 'R' key
Calibrate - Touch all four corners systematically
Wait for samples - Allow 10+ touches before expecting accurate scaling
Check console output - Review scaling information in the console when running in Debug mode

4. Serial Communication Problems

Problem: Data not being transmitted or received

Solutions:

Enable serial logging for debugging

TouchDataCaptureService.exe --port COM3 --seriallog

Check serial log
Verify baud rate matches receiver device

⚠️ Important: The baud rate must be identical in both this service and the MCU project. Maximum supported rate is 3000000 bps.

Try common baud rates TouchDataCaptureService.exe --port COM3 --baudrate 115200 TouchDataCaptureService.exe --port COM3 --baudrate 9600 4. Check cable and port configuration

Test with serial monitor (Arduino IDE, PuTTY, etc.)

5. High CPU Usage

Problem: Application consuming excessive CPU

Solutions:

Disable serial logging (if enabled) Remove --seriallog flag

TouchDataCaptureService.exe --port COM10

Check queue backlog in logs

Select-String -Path hid_decoded.log -Pattern "queue full"

6. Permission Errors

Problem: Access denied or insufficient privileges

Solutions:

Run as Administrator

 Start-Process TouchDataCaptureService.exe -Verb RunAs

Or create shortcut with "Run as administrator" enabled

🤝 Contributing

This is an internal Intel project. For contributions or issues:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/improvement)
Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add new feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/improvement)
Create a Pull Request

📄 License

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See Apache-2.0.txt file for details.

📚 Additional Resources

Deployment Guide: See DEPLOYMENT.md for publishing and deployment instructions
Repository: https://github.com//ifpd-touchback-floatingmenu
Issue Tracker: Report bugs and request features via GitHub Issues
.NET Documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/dotnet
HID Specification: USB.org HID Documentation

🏷️ Version Information

Version: 1.0.0
Last Updated: March 2026
Target Framework: .NET 10
C# Version: 14.0
Platform: Windows 11 (x64)

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README.md

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Touch Data Capture Service

📋 Table of Contents

🔍 Overview

Architecture

Project Structure

✨ Features

Core Functionality

Serial Communication

Advanced Features

💻 System Requirements

Hardware

Software

Permissions

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

First Run

⚙️ Command-Line Arguments

Basic Usage

Available Options

Examples

🔧 Configuration

Default Settings

Log Modes

Serial Configuration Notes

Data Format Configuration

📊 Touch Data Format

Serial Output Format (Decoded Mode)

Field Descriptions

Example Output

📏 Dynamic Coordinate Scaling

How It Works

Calibration Process

Manual Reset

Scaling Formula

Scaling Information

📝 Logging

Log Files

Log File Examples

Raw Log Format

Decoded Log Format

Detailed Log Format

Serial Log Format (when enabled)

Log Headers

🚫 Process Bypass Feature

Purpose

Bypassed Processes (Default)

How It Works

🔧 Troubleshooting

1. Serial Port Issues

2. No Touch Data Received

3. Coordinate Scaling Issues

4. Serial Communication Problems

5. High CPU Usage

6. Permission Errors

🤝 Contributing

📄 License

📚 Additional Resources

🏷️ Version Information