Re: Retrofit LCD display light - any tips?

Arfa Daily wrote:
"N Cook" <diverse8@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Kit often used in bad lighting and no built in illumination , gooseneck
illuminator would be awkward.
Complex 2 inch square one with only zebra spacing, so indirect side
illumination. Intend 2 bright white 5mm LEDs angled into the LCD glass or
would some thin translucent white perspex/luxite in the zebra space make for
better illumination. Just thin white backing *** there at the moment.

--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England

I'm not sure that you are going to have too much success with this. I have tried before to light displays that were not intended for it, and have never managed to get enough light in there to make it work. On transreflective types, the reflective surface is, I seem to recall, bonded to the back face of the glass panel, to maximise the light reflection back through the panel, and minimise the losses. The light output from high intensity white LEDs is also pretty narrow angled, so you might struggle to get even illumination across the display surface, if you attempt to side inject it. How about a couple of the surface mount LED 'bars' that you can get now, perhaps fixed along the two long edges of the display, casting their light across its surface. I'm sure that with a bit of imagination, they could be shrouded and fixed on in a way that looked ok. Can't remember where I saw them now, but I'm sure that one of the newsletters that I get from suppliers, or a mag advert somewhere, showed some bars that were 'snap-off' to the length / number of LEDs that you needed. Googling might turn up something along those lines.

Arfa

You *could* add an EL backlight replacing the backing ***. The following link may be usefull if you dont have any scrap EL backlight LCDs to cannabalize.

<http://electroluminescence-inc.com/customPattern.htm>

They have a A5 size blue green cut to size EL *** for $26. You could get 8 2" square (+ contacts on one end) pieces out of that.

RS have a suitable product as well.

<http://uk.rs-online.com/web/2678728.html>

Seikosha White electro-luminescent *** 60x50mm (you can trim it to size)

You'd also need an inverter (backlight driver) for either product

<http://uk.rs-online.com/web/2678857.html>

12V 45ma supply. 5V model also available, less than 1" cube.


HTH.

Ian.
.

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