How EMR works, in plain terms
An EMR digitizer is a grid of sensor coils placed behind or beneath the writing surface. The grid emits a low-frequency electromagnetic field. The pen contains a resonant circuit but no battery: when it enters the field, the circuit resonates and sends a signal back to the grid, which triangulates the pen's position. Lifting the pen out of the field stops the signal, which is why the pen needs no power switch, no charging, and no battery replacement.
Pressure is measured inside the pen: a pressure sensor modulates the returning signal as the tip is pressed harder or more lightly, and the digitizer translates that modulation into pressure levels. Tilt is detected from asymmetries in the returning signal. Because the whole system is electromagnetic rather than capacitive, it works through a display panel, which is why the same core technology serves both screenless pen tablets and pen displays, as well as the signature pads in our signing line. You can read more about the building blocks on our EMR technology page and the pen side on our EMR pens page.
The five parameters on every EMR datasheet
Whether you are evaluating a finished device or an EMR module for integration, the same five parameters appear. Here is how to read each one.
Pen resolution (LPI). Lines per inch: the density of the sensor grid. A widely published figure is 5080 LPI, which appears across the DS signing line, the H640P and HS610 pen tablets, the Inspiroy Frego, and the Kamvas pen displays. Higher grid density means the digitizer can resolve finer pen movements, which matters for small handwriting and detailed drawing.
Sensing height. The maximum distance above the surface at which the pen is still detected, usually quoted in millimeters. The DS signing line publishes 10 mm; the Q630M and Inspiroy Frego publish greater than 10 mm, as does the Huion Note X10. Sensing height determines how comfortably users can hover: a higher value gives more room for hover gestures and cursor preview before the pen touches down.
Accuracy. How closely the reported pen position matches the actual tip position, quoted separately for the center and the corners of the active area. Typical published values on the DS signing line are plus or minus 0.5 mm at the center and plus or minus 3 mm at the corners, while the H640P, HS610, and Inspiroy Frego publish plus or minus 0.3 mm. Accuracy is measured on the finished device, because the display stack, lamination, and housing all influence the final figure.
Report rate (PPS). Points per second: how often the digitizer samples the pen. The DS signing line reports 233PPS, with the official description stating that it ensures instant capture of every pen movement without any lagging. Pen tablets and displays publish higher figures where the use case demands it: 266PPS on the Kamvas 13 and HS610, greater than 300PPS on the Kamvas Studio 16 and Kamvas Pro 24, and greater than 400PPS on the Huion Note E X50. For signatures and handwriting, consistency across the fleet matters more than the absolute number; for drawing, higher rates smooth fast strokes.
Pressure levels. The number of distinguishable pressure steps. The published range spans 2048 levels on compact signing pads, 4096 and 8192 levels across the mainstream lines, and 16384 levels on the Kamvas Pro 19 and Kamvas Pro 27 with the PW600 pen series. More levels give finer control of line width and opacity in creative work and a richer biometric record in signing.
A note on where these numbers come from
The figures in the table below are quoted from the published specifications of complete, finished products that use EMR pen technology, and each figure belongs to the context of that product: its display stack, its pen model, and its firmware tuning. They describe finished devices, not standalone module specifications. When you evaluate a module for your own device, expect the final numbers to be set during integration and tuning with your own display and housing, which is exactly what the customization process below is for.
| Finished product (context) | Pen resolution | Sensing height | Accuracy | Report rate | Pressure levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS101S signature pad | 5080 LPI | 10 mm | ±0.5 mm center, ±3 mm corner | 233PPS | 512 to 4096, user-defined |
| H640P pen tablet | Not published | 10 mm | ±0.3 mm | 233PPS | 8192 |
| HS610 pen tablet | Not published | 10 mm | ±0.3 mm | 266PPS | 8192 |
| Q630M pen tablet | 5080 LPI | Greater than 10 mm | Not published | Greater than 300PPS | 8192 |
| Inspiroy Frego S and M | 5080 LPI | Greater than 10 mm | ±0.3 mm | 300PPS | 8192 |
| Huion Note X10 | Not published | Greater than 10 mm | Not published | Not published | 8192 |
| Kamvas 13 pen display | 5080 LPI | Not published | Not published | 266PPS | 8192 |
| Kamvas Studio 16 pen computer | 5080 LPI | Not published | Not published | Greater than 300PPS | 8192 |
| Kamvas Pro 27 pen display | 5080 LPI | Not published | Not published | Greater than 260PPS | 16384 |
| Huion Note E X50 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Greater than 400PPS | 8192 |
What integrators actually customize
A module engagement starts from the application, not the datasheet. The application fields listed for the customizable electromagnetic module cover finance and insurance, government and public sectors, business and office work, retail and service, medical care, and hospitality and tourism. A signature terminal for a bank counter, a patient intake device for a clinic, and a point-of-sale signing screen for retail each need different sizes, housings, interfaces, and firmware behavior, even though the underlying pen technology is the same.
This is where the manufacturer's background matters. The company profile states that Huion was founded in 2011 and began by providing professional OEM and ODM solutions to apply EMR technology in different industries. The company profile further states that it developed its own graphics input recognition chips, with the HV400 entering mass production followed by the fourth-generation HV800 with proprietary IP, and that its handwriting recognition technology for original manuscripts has been commercialized in finance, medical care, and communications for paperless office use. For an integrator, that history means the module conversation can cover the digitizer, the pen, the firmware tuning, and the application software layer together, rather than bolting a generic sensor onto a finished industrial design.
In practical terms, a module project typically moves through these stages: define the use case and the target device form factor; agree on the sensor size and performance targets; tune the firmware against your display stack; validate accuracy and report rate on your own hardware; and lock the pen design, since the pen is part of the system. If you are comparing modules, ask every supplier the same five parameter questions from the section above, and ask how each figure was measured: on a reference board or on a finished device like yours. For project discussions, our OEM and ODM team handles module inquiries.
Does the pen need a battery with EMR technology?
No. The EMR pen is passive: it resonates in the electromagnetic field emitted by the sensor grid and needs no battery and no charging. Product descriptions across the signing and drawing lines highlight this repeatedly, for example the DS101S description notes a digital pen PW202 that needs no battery or charge, and the Kamvas Studio 16 ships with the slim PW550S pen.
What does 5080 LPI mean?
LPI stands for lines per inch: the density of the sensor grid that detects the pen. 5080 LPI is the published pen resolution across the DS signing line, the Inspiroy Frego, the Q630M, and the Kamvas pen displays. It describes how finely the digitizer can resolve pen movement.
Is a higher report rate always better?
Not necessarily on its own. A higher PPS samples the pen more often, which smooths fast strokes in drawing, but what matters for a deployment is that the rate is consistent and matched to the use case. The DS signing line standardizes on 233PPS with the stated result of instant capture of every pen movement without any lagging, while drawing products publish 266PPS to greater than 400PPS.
Can EMR work through a display panel?
Yes. The sensor grid sits behind the display, which is why EMR serves pen displays and signature pads with screens as well as screenless tablets. Published examples include the 10.1-inch 1280 by 800 signing pads, the 15.6-inch 1920 by 1080 DS1610 and DS1640, and pen displays up to the 27-inch 4K Kamvas Pro 27.
What should I ask a module supplier before choosing?
Ask for the five parameters above with measurement context: pen resolution, sensing height, accuracy at center and corners, report rate, and pressure levels, each measured on hardware like yours. Ask about pen options, firmware tuning support, and which industries the supplier has already served. The company profile states Huion has applied EMR technology across industries since its founding in 2011, with self-developed HV400 and HV800 chips.