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Aerospace

Custom Aerospace HMI Solutions

CSI Keyboards has over 35 years of experience designing backlit human machine interfaces and backlit panels and signage for the aerospace industry. Whether it be for personal lighting, in-flight entertainment, overhead cabin indicators, seat controls, or cockpit control panels, CSI Keyboards has extensive experience designing keypads for the aerospace industry that are both sleek and reliable. Our aerospace products are designed to be light weight and flame retardant, and intended for use in high altitudes.

The aerospace industry typically prefers a backlit solution for their keypad application due to the fact that they are being used in low light environments. CSI can design and manufacture a keypad that increases both visibility, tactile response and aesthetics. CSI Keyboards can also accommodate Mil Spec standards, infrared filtering for LED indicator lights, LED backlighting, and display filtering.

CSI Keyboards Aerospace Membrane Switch
CSI Keyboards Aerospace Membrane Switch
CSI Keyboards Aerospace Membrane Keypad

Custom Aerospace Keypads and Interface Capabilities:

  • Backlighting
  • Durable and ruggedized interfaces – resistance to a wide range of chemicals, solvents, surface wear, and abrasion
  • Environmental sealing
  • Deadfront interface technologies
    • LEDs
    • Light blocking and piping features to prevent light bleed and hot spots
    • Light guide film technology for even and uniform light dispersion
  • Integrated reinforced display windows
  • Touch screen and display integration
    • Integrated reinforced display windows
    • Tactile keys using stainless steel metal domes
    • Infrared filtered LEDs for indicator lights and/or backlighting (NVIS)
    • Infrared filters for display windows (NVIS)
    • EMI and RFI filtering using stainless steel mesh or a printed silver grid
    • Full turnkey assembly with display, enclosure, LEDs, and loaded PCBAs

Custom Aerospace Interface Backlighting Capabilities

LEDs

Membrane switches with LEDs are still the most popular and economical method for keyboard backlighting. LEDs are most commonly used to backlight keys, icons and symbols. LEDs are also typically used as indicator lights. A combination of LEDs, Light Guide Film and proprietary CSI backlighting methods can be designed to backlight the entire surface of a user interface.

Light Guide Film (LGF)

Designed to evenly distribute light from top or side firing LEDs, providing bright, uniformed illumination. It also reduces the amount of LEDs needed, saving power consumption. Light guide film dots are also designed and implemented which allow for the optimization of light distribution to obtain maximum brightness and uniformity. Common problems that many of our competitors face are light leakage and hot spots. CSI’s backlighting designs prevent any light leakage and hot spots from occurring, and also result in much brighter light guide film and interface.

Electroluminescence (EL)

Applied on a very thin layer between the graphic overlay and the circuit. EL uses a printable ink deposit to illuminate the switch and provide a uniformed illumination.

Fiber Optics

Provides a flexible backlighting layer that can be incorporated between the graphic overlay and the circuit layer allowing the entire surface area of the membrane switch to be evenly backlit.