Editor's note: Readers of the free Electronicstalk weekly email newsletter will have read this news the week it was announced. Click here to request to be added to the circulation.
A new edge lit backlight panel from optoelectronic Manufacturing Corp (OMC) uses surface-mount LEDs as an alternative to the company's popular range of side firing pinned leg backlights, offering the same traditional benefits of high reliability and ruggedness.
The new panels will appeal to customers looking for an all surface mount board containing no through-hole components.
Powering the new backlight panels is a special range of surface mount side-firing backlight LEDs and light-guides, developed by OMC, offering seven exceptionally bright colours (including white).
The new backlight LEDs, which are optimised for use with OMC light-guides and diffuser technology to give consistent illumination across the backlight, offer great performance enhancements and extended life over electroluminescent panels (EL) and are far less fragile than cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL).
Mounting is easy using a special plastic foot which fits into the light-guide panel to hold it down on the PCB.
The precision cut or moulded light guides are coated with OMC's diffuser materials.
A choice of reflective edge coat is also available to enhance internal light reflection.
The design of the new edge lit backlight panel means that standard sizes as well as customised versions can be produced at big productions runs as well as small production runs of only 50 or 100 devices, appealing to smaller users.
If required, OMC can also convert traditional pinned edge lit backlights to the new smd type.
 

• See contact details for The Optoelectronic Manufacturing Corporation (UK) and other news
• Email this news to a colleague