Hi All,
I am upgrading an existing product - its a handheld tester that uses a 9V battery. We need to keep the same enclosure with its 9V battery compartment...hence same display size & low power consumption requirement.
We currently use a EL backlit 1x16 display due to the low power comsumption (2mA for the dispaly plus 5 mA for the back-light). This display is almost obsolete and I am struggling to find a direct replacement - the LED backlights for the equivalent displays are very power hungry (100mA) so they are not an option.
I am considering switching to a graphic display as I am happy to write the code to drive it...it would also give the product a more "bling" The graphic LED backlights use a lot less current (32mA) but I am also hopeful that somebody (cyrstalfontz!?!?) will consider stocking an EL version. I know the EL option "exist" as the options appear on various manufacturer's websites.
My questions:
1. Has anybody used PWM to dim a graphic LED backlight? If so what realistic power savings can be achieved?...reducing the current draw to 15mA for the backlight would be accceptable - assuming it made the unit fairly easy to read...I do not need a flashlight!
2. Is there a source or minimal order quantityfor a EL backlight version of a 80mmx32mm (module dimension) LCD display?
3. Why has EL back-lighting become so "unpopular"?
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Neal
I am upgrading an existing product - its a handheld tester that uses a 9V battery. We need to keep the same enclosure with its 9V battery compartment...hence same display size & low power consumption requirement.
We currently use a EL backlit 1x16 display due to the low power comsumption (2mA for the dispaly plus 5 mA for the back-light). This display is almost obsolete and I am struggling to find a direct replacement - the LED backlights for the equivalent displays are very power hungry (100mA) so they are not an option.
I am considering switching to a graphic display as I am happy to write the code to drive it...it would also give the product a more "bling" The graphic LED backlights use a lot less current (32mA) but I am also hopeful that somebody (cyrstalfontz!?!?) will consider stocking an EL version. I know the EL option "exist" as the options appear on various manufacturer's websites.
My questions:
1. Has anybody used PWM to dim a graphic LED backlight? If so what realistic power savings can be achieved?...reducing the current draw to 15mA for the backlight would be accceptable - assuming it made the unit fairly easy to read...I do not need a flashlight!
2. Is there a source or minimal order quantityfor a EL backlight version of a 80mmx32mm (module dimension) LCD display?
3. Why has EL back-lighting become so "unpopular"?
Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Neal
Looking for additional LCD resources? Check out our LCD blog for the latest developments in LCD technology.
