Backlighting involves strategically placing lights into membrane switches construction to make legends and displays easier to read.
A backlit membrane switches are a membrane switch constructed with an internal layer, which points and causes light to cast through switch, without losing tactile effect.
There are number of methods to produce desired effects, depending on the requirements of your application such as thickness, preferences, shapes, environmental exposure and other unique specifications.
LEDs are used primarily as indicator lights and are popular low-cost, point-source lighting method. Embedded LEDs emits very low heat and comes in verity of colors including Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, White, Bi-color and multi- color lamp packages.
Surface mount LEDs can be bonded into polyester switch constructions, which provides a reliable, cost effective light source.
An even greater variety of lamp packages can be used in PCB membrane switches, copper flex membrane switches and can be through-hole soldered which enhance durability.
EL lamps contain phosphors which converts electrical energy directly into light energy. EL is a process of lighting by using DC voltage, sending it through an AC inverter and exciting a phosphorescent material coating between two electrodes, causing them to be excited and light up the molecules.
They are composed of thin films and can be printed in a verity of patterns as well as be embedded under many different display and user interface products.
The high efficiency of this conversion minimizes power consumption and losses due to heat or IR emissions. They are best suited for low and no light applications where the backlight is not always on because the phosphors tend to decay with extended use at high voltages and frequencies.
LGF is a thin film backlighting technology that will direct light produced by side firing or right angle LEDs across the area that needs to be backlit.
Tiny micro lenses (20-50 micron in diameter) are used in thin films and plates to redirect light out of the light guide by using internal reflection and are custom placed according to requirements.
The advantage of LGF is that the film can be fabricated into almost any shape providing consistent backlighting across one or more areas within the switch.
Multiple LGF films can be used within one application to provide discrete backlighting to different graphic features.
Different color LEDs can be used to achieve unique lighting effects or white LEDs can be used to light different printed graphics on the overlay.
A typical fiber optic lamp consists of two or more layers of woven fiber optic cloths used to form a rectangular light emitting area.
The fiber coming off one end are then bundled into a circular ferrule and coupled to one or more LED light sources.
Fiber optic lamps are a cost effective method to achieve more uniform backlighting across a broader area of the membrane switch.
With fiber optic backlighting, light from a light source (LED) is evenly distributed under the graphics by use of very thin plastic fibers.
- Innovative design
- Illuminated graphics
- Advanced electronics
- Hepatic feedback capable
- Greater functionality
- Wide viewing angle
- Premium finish
- Illuminated closer response
- Precisely engineered
- No external venting
- User friendly