Interconnections & Packaging: Panel Light Pipes Use Dual-Lens Design To Enhance Display Intensity

Feb. 2, 2004

The PLP5 series 5-mm panel light pipes feature a new diffused-dome dual-lens design that improves lighting intensity for use with surface-mounted or through-hole LEDs. The lens geometry at the base of the light pipe creates a concave "collector" that concentrates and forwards the LED's light output to a convex viewing surface. Lenses can be press-fit by hand from the display's front panel (fits into 0.220-in./5.6-mm hole). No additional hardware is required for installation. They come in lengths from 0.125 to 1.5 in. (3.2-38 mm) in 0.125-in. (3.2-mm) increments in standard colors of red, green, yellow, blue, and clear. Price is from $0.15 each in production lots.

Bivar Inc.www.bivar.com; (949) 951-8808

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.