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From: milo@ndmath.UUCP (Greg Corson)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.electronics
Subject: Neon/gas discharge Iluminators
Message-ID: <636@ndmath.UUCP>
Date: 16 Jan 88 00:42:33 GMT
Organization: Math. Dept., Univ. of Notre Dame
Lines: 31

I recently read about a computer company using a neon tube (bent in
a serpentine pattern behind diffusing glass) as a backlight for it's
portable computer LCD screen.  Their reason was supposedly lower power
requirements than an Electroluminescent pannel.

Is this correct?  How difficult would it be to make a power supply that
would run off 6-12 volts to drive such a neon tube.

Also, two other question regarding gas discharge lighting...

1. If you created a glass sandwitch with a thin space in between and
   placed electrodes along two opposite (thin) edges. When the thing was
   powered up would you get an even light across the entire sandwitch?
   (say the thing was around 6x6 inches.
   How about if you used transparent electrodes covering the entire sheet
   of glass, front and back?  Even lighting or would you be likely to have
   hot spots.

2. If you have a large volume (say about a square foot) with the proper
   gas mix for a neon light and you put a number of small electrodes at
   various places in the box, would you end up with streamers of light
   between positive and negative electrodes or would a fairly large volume
   of space light up?  How about if you used two large flat electrodes
   on opposite sides of the box?  Would the whole thing light up?

Greg Corson
19141 Summers Drive
South Bend, IN 46637
(219) 277-5306 (weekdays till 6 PM eastern)
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