EL (Electroluminescence) backlighting is also called an ELP (Electroluminescence Panel). This type of backlighting is a technology that uses colored phosphors, not heat, to generate light. EL backlights are very thin(slightly thicker then a credit card) and lightweight. They provide an even light across the entire display. A variety of colors is available with white being the most popular. EL backlights require voltages of 100VAC @ 400Hz which is supplied by an inverter that converts 5, 12 or 24 VDC input to the AC output.
The half-life of EL backlights is much shorter than other backlighting technologies at 3k to 5k hours. Half-life is when the backlight is ½ as bright as when it was first turned on. Sometimes EL backlights emit a humming that is caused from the inverters used on the board. A film capacitor can be used to prevent this noise. One major disadvantage to an EL backlight is that it produces EM noise. The customer may need to shield their product to eliminate this interference.
