A Quick And Comprehensive Design Guide of A Membrane Switch

The user interface of a Membrane Switch is a very important component. The graphic overlay deserves special mention at the outset because its appearance is integral to your view of the device. Remember you’re the operator here and your equipment is the membrane switch. You can produce virtually all colors. The space between lines or the finest line has a thickness of .006 inches. You can print it effectively. The maximum line screen of the switch is 230 LPI for process printing and graduating halftones. Some halftones also graduate along the process. LPI is the acronym of lines per inch. Do keep it in mind.

The display windows

In a Membrane Switch, you can use embossing either with non-tactile or tactile switches. However, don’t do pillow embossing only as it doesn’t elicit a tactile response. You can easily incorporate LED indicators and integral display windows into the design of a membrane switch. Block and single point LEDs have minimum limitations. They can perform nicely with any type of material surface or material finish. However, if you want more diffusion, you can go for a textured or matte surface. LEDs cannot emanate from the tactile switch’s active area, although you can graphically make them appear as a part of the membrane switch.

The integral LEDs

Surface-mounted LEDs or single point, integral LEDs are an important part of a Membrane Switch. You can mount them onto the circuit’s bottom layer. It’s the lower circuit in this regard. You can find a wide variety of colors, which include bi-colors. You can then provide termination from the same connector end or tail as a membrane switch. However, there will be termination only if you emboss the graphic layer for accommodating the LEDs. You don’t need to emboss the graphic if you provide LED termination on a separate tail.

Designing the digital windows

You can design digital windows for enhancing the specific display that you’re using in a Membrane Switch. You need to remember that texture might distort the displays’ appearance that don’t directly go against the design or overlays. Gloss finishes and matte work best. You can print translucent filtering inks for improving the texture and appearance of displays. If it’s an LCD, the window will not have any color whatsoever. The anti-glare or matte finish provides superior scratch resistance. It’s higher than the clear or gloss finish. However, it may diffuse textures and displays that are .060 inches away.

More on the display

A red LED showcases appearance. It shows a lot of improvement with the addition of smoke gray or red color. You can use red for achieving better readability and visibility in low light conditions. You can choose smoke grey in radiant settings or the environments that have LEDs with other colors. The concept remains the same with yellow, amber or green LEDs. You can use amber yellow or green filters in a careful manner. Don’t overdo it. Use the colors for low light conditions. Deadfronting or hiding the color until it’s lit is another option, which you can include if the system entails a dark background. For more information visit here: CSI Keyboards, Inc.