sELect Animated Electroluminesence

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Thin and flexible for novel placement in product design, sELect displays allow for segmented touch-sensitive interaction. They can be combined with conventional flat panel switches and positioned behind graphical icons to create an aesthetic interactive display. Memtron refers to this coupling as a Human Machine Interface (HMI) display.

Suitable for various applications, sELect is cost-effective and makes product usage more intuitive, while ensuring visual appeal with smooth animation.

Proprietary driver electronics have been developed to optimize the performance of sELect displays. This allows control of individual segments of the interface display, providing functionality such as animation and nested menus with hidden text/icons. Since each area of the screen is illuminated, as usage requires, the user interface and user experience is vastly simplified.

Applications

sELect products can be used in a broad range of applications from display backlighting to interactive displays.
These include:

• Control Panels - Fire, Security, Heating and Air Conditioning
• Consumer Electronics - Remote Controls
• Portable Consumer Electronics - Mobile Phones, MP3 Players and PDAs
• Home appliances - Microwaves, Refrigerators, Dishwashers and
  Washing Machines
• Other applications - Automotive, Fitness Equipment, Medical and Military

Key Features

• Interactive display that simplifies the user interface
• Thin, flexible and lightweight, allows for novel placement on products
• Low cost, high quality performance
• Custom design of icons and animation, improving the quality of
  information presented
• Multiple segment colors and shades are available
• Can be die-cut and combined with other display technologies - from knobs and buttons to LEDs
• Broad range of high durability optical filters
• Can be used in a broad range of applications from display lighting
  to interactive displays
• RoHS compliant

Electroluminescent Lamps

Electroluminescence is a solid-state phenomenon in which semiconductor crystals, known as phosphors, convert electrical energy directly into light energy. The high efficiency of this conversion minimizes power consumption and losses due to heat or IR emissions. EL devices consequently consume relatively little power under normal operation.

Attributes

• EL Lamps provide a cool soft light in blue, blue/green, green, amber, white and violet
• Filtering over the EL lamp can offer additional colors
• EL Lamps have been tested to three million actuations without any detrimental effect to the lit area of the lamp
• EL Lamps are terminated through a screen printed polyester tail that offers the same connector offerings as a membrane switch
• EL Lamp life can very from 1,000 to 20,000 hours
  - in some cases, useful life of up to 50,000 hours is achievable
  - correct matching of lamp, inverter, graphics overlay or display and package
  design determine life expectancy

Fiber Optics

Memtron offers fiber optics for backlighting to make the input device visible in low- light or no-light conditions. Fiber optics are passive light tunnels that transfer light from a remote source to desired areas of the graphic. Fiber optics are placed directly below the graphic and above the membrane switch. Color is determined by the light source, which is most commonly an LED or halogen bulb. Filters, which can be screen-printed or placed between the fiber optic and the graphic layer, can also be added to control the visible light output or enhance the color.

For more information on fiber optic backlighting and how it works in interface constructions please visit the Lumitex site at: http://www.lumitex.com/UniGlo_Technology.html

Attributes

• Not affected by extremes in humidity 0% to 100%
• Operating temperature range of –50 to +85 C and storage temperature range of –50 to +85 C
• Fiber optics can be altered to accommodate LEDs if it is necessary to have point source lighting on the graphic panel
• Low power consumption light source since a fiber optics can be illuminated adequately with one LED

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

An LED is primarily used for point source lighting in membrane switches and PCB backed switches. LEDs come in several package configurations, colors and intensities. PCB backed assemblies offer a variety of LED lighting options including embedded, through hole, and bar graph.

Surface mount LEDs can be bonded into our polyester switch constructions, which provide a reliable, cost effective light source.

Attributes

• Available in a multitude of colors, sizes, intensities and viewing angles
• Single color, bi-color, tri-color and blinking options
• Low cost enhancement to membrane switches
• Low power, long life, robust in design