'backlighting strategies'
The Monopanel Advantage!

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) substrate gives more options for Surface Mount Devise (SMD) packages vs. film base. Film based switch components are limited in availability and must be thin.

The use of Printed Circuit Board allows LED and other electrical components to be soldered in place vs. held by conductive epoxy. Soldered components have a stronger mechanical and electrical connection, when given the opportunity, Printed Circuit Board based products do offer some advantages over film based products for backlighting strategies, though film based products are very reliable in many applications.

sample showing No Bleed backlighting of a Membrane Switch

The use of a Printed Circuit Board substrate with optional daughter board offers other advantages:

  1. The use of mounting studs and or stand offs
  2. Mounting of 7 segment LEDs
  3. Mounting of LCD or other types of displays
  4. Diffuses light and helps to eliminates LED hot spots

LED technology allows selective backlighting of text and graphics and cost significantly less than other backlighting strategies such as fiber optics, Electro Luminescence (EL) and edge lens backlighting.

Printed Circuit Board provides rigid backing for switch mechanism eliminating the need for second surface. Cost of Printed Circuit Board vs. film is the same - no cost added for all the benefits. Printed Circuit Board substrate offers better sealing capabilities. Printed Circuit Board allows flexibility in mixing electrical component technologies Surface Mount Devise and Through Hole.

Membrane Switch Backlighting Success - Technically Speaking

PROBLEM

Separate membrane switch display elements needing to be brightly backlit with NO bleed through from one backlit area to the next.

SOLUTION

Use of the printed circuit board membrane switch substrate with optional daughter boards allowed for the use of mounting studs and/or stand offs, mounting of seven segment LED’s, mounting of LCD or other types of displays and diffuses light thereby helping to eliminate the membrane switch backlighting problem of LED hot spots.
The Backlight membrane switch solution Monopanel engineers left accepted membrane switch backlighting technology on the shelf in this instance. The custom membrane switch backlighting application started with a printed circuit board substrate. The printed circuit board substrate allows more options for surface mount device packages than film based embedded LED membrane switch lighting options.

Monopanel engineers decided to use the printed circuit board with daughter boards. The printed circuit board allowed Monopanel to backlight this membrane switch application with LED lighting soldered into place rather than glued in place with epoxy. The added benefit is soldered membrane switch assembly components have a stronger mechanical and electrical connection. It also allows for space to attach other SMD devices that may be an integral part of the switch and display. The advantages of the printed circuit board membrane switch substrate with optional daughter boards allows for the use of mounting studs and/or stand offs, mounting of seven segment LED’s, mounting of LCD or other types of displays and diffuses light thereby helping to eliminate the membrane switch backlighting problem of LED hot spots.

Monopanel is able to deliver selective backlighting of text and graphics in membrane switch assemblies at a significant cost savings over other membrane switch backlighting techniques like fiber optic, electro luminescence and edge lens backlighting. In fact, Monopanel is able to deliver the superior printed circuit board membrane switch backlighting for the same cost as printed film based membrane switch backlighting, in essence, delivering greater functional options at a base price point.

Printed circuit board membrane switch technology by Monopanel provides rigid backing eliminating the need for a second surface. Monopanel’s printed circuit board membrane switch substrate also offers better sealing capabilities in harsh industrial or medical membrane switch applications. AND Monopanel’s printed circuit board membrane switch technology allows flexibility in mixing electrical components with surface mounted devices and through holes for a completely tested front panel assembly.

This cutting edge ENGINEERED backlight membrane switch solution Monopanel has delivered may not be considered conventional; YET. In every aspect of membrane switch and membrane switch assembly, Monopanel continues to define the membrane switch industry, delivering bright advantages.