A CRT light pen emulating interface with power save and remote access for flat panel displays includes a pen flat panel display that indicates at least one of a user action with a light pen switch or other device and a presence of a light pen emulating object positioned on or proximate to a display surface of the electromagnetic pen flat panel display. A light pen emulating object is positioned proximate to the electromagnetic pen flat panel display. A processor generates a light pen emulation signal comprising position data for the light pen emulating object relative to the display surface of the electromagnetic flat panel display. A light pen CRT electronic interface converts the position data for the light pen emulating object into a corresponding signal that is comparable to a signal generated by a CRT light pen viewing a scanning dot on the CRT screen.