LED Display Profile

After sampling a few different LED display the only display which was bright enough at our voltage and current requirements is Kingbrights APDC03-41CGKWA additionally we loved this display because of it's low because of it's low profile and it's the best price for a smd display of this type.  (SMD displays are much thinner then through hole versions).

The current displays specs are:
Chip Material: InGaAIP
Common: Cathode
Color: green (570nm)
Iv mcd: 4700 (min), 11000 (typical).
IV Characteristic: @2.1V If=20mA -> good luminous intensity :)

The problem with this display is the cost is about $2 and we'd like to get this to about $1 since TH versions can be had for well under this.  Also a TH version would probably be better suited for assembly and less likely the casting resin will get under the display and when it hardens cause some of the solder joints to become disconnected.

Findings:

current profile is 3.75mm and dimensions are 14.8x12


http://www.us.kingbright.com/data/spec/DC03-11GWA.pdf <-- Profile is 7.20mm
http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Lumex/Web%20Data/LDD-E302NI-RA.pdf <-- profile is 7.2
http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Lite-on/Web%20Data/D2701G.pdf  <-- profile is 6.1 and common cathode

The biggest problems with these displays is the profile.  There are a lot of advantages to them in that they would be easier to assemble and some have properties which would make the PCB layout much cleaner (possibly even able todo single sided boards or route the boards out on our cnc milling machine).

However, we would need to find switches which have longer legs by 3mm.  We could gain another 1.5mm by not putting the switches through the board which would allow us to have a profile of 3.75+1.5 = 5.25.

So, we are very close to the 6.1mm displays.  Perhaps, we could put a socket pin through first and then solder the switches to that.  This will have to be explored more. 

But one thing is time.  Our design works and has a few flaws.  The design process tries to limit those flaws but it's a compromise for research time invested in improving it or just spending the additional time assembling the device. Hmm...

Update on Sunday, May 16, 2004 at 04:20PM by Blake Robertson

MSD349C-ND

0.3"

1.28600 30

Profile is 7.3