The INV3004 is the first in the Displaze MaxDIM range of wide dimming range inverters. This DC/AC inverter for driving LCD backlight CCFL tubes provide the system designer with many features not normally available with the standard inverters. It is suitable for LCD panels with up to 6 CCFL's offering maximum power rating of 30W and uses a 12V power source.

A typical LCD panel offers brightness levels of 250 to 350 Cd/m2. In the darkened environment of a night time operations room this level of brightness will destroy an operators night vision ability. The MaxDIM inverter allows this LCD brightness to be reduced by over 1000 times to less then 0.25Cd/m2 making the LCD barely visible in normal light conditions but ideal for the night time operator.

During backlight dimming a problem associated with standard inverters is that of flicker which may be caused by power supply cross talk, poor strike voltage control or by interference with incident light sources. MaxDIM inverters minimize the chances of these effects with on-board power filtering and programmable tube drive frequency allowing for flicker free dimming.

The initial switch on phase for a backlight is the most destructive period of it's operation. The life time of the CCFL can be reduced drastically by excess power cycling. To reduce the effect of this and increase tube life the MaxDIM range of inverters have a Slow Start feature which ramps the luminance of the backlight thus reducing the damage caused.

The MaxDIM range can be factory configured to many different LCD panels and provides output short circuit protection, automatic strike voltage regulation and timeout. Standard operating temperature range for the MaxDIM product range is -15 to +60 degrees celsius. Extended Temperature range versions may be available upon request.

Applications for the MaxDIM products include Military Operations Rooms, Ships Bridge Instrumentation Panels, Dark Room Monitors, Train Cabin Displays and Air Traffic Control Tower Panels are few examples.