Electronics Inverter question

I am having trouble finding an inverter here in the UK for my LCD EL backlight.
I was wondering if I have to get the spec EXACTLY as it wants or if it can deviate at all.
The required voltage is 110V AC
The frequency is 500Hz

I can get a 90V AC inverter that puts out 900Hz
Does the frequency being higher make a difference (sorry but I am a noob to the electronics part of modding)

 

The brightness of the light depends on the amplitude and frequency of the voltage waveform applied across the panel. As the voltage or frequency of the driving signal increases, the brightness of the lamp increases.

So yours will be a lot brighter than it should be - but maybe not for long...

 

You mean I could kill it ?

 

Basicly burn it out and DOWN. Those things can get hot if powered to much, or on for too long any way.

 

So if I get bigger voltage or frequency I will burn it out.
If I get lower voltage and/or frequency then it will be slightly dimmer but should last a lot longer ?

 

Exactly.

Long technical explanation as to why:

EL lighting works on the principle of fluorescence. Simply put, when a fluorescent material is subject to the right type of electromagnetic radiation, whether it be light, radio, or X rays, the energy from those waves cause the electrons in the outer shell of the fluorescent material "jumps" up to the next electron shell. Eventually, these electrons lose the energy needed to stay in that higher electron shell and "fall" back to their original shell. When they "fall", they release electromegnetic radiation in the form of visible light.

Of course, this doesn't last forever. Either the reaction will stop altogether or at reduced brightness

Now, I can't quite remember how EL works, but I know that there's a single wire inside which reacts with a element in the wire to emit some form of EM radiation, and a phosphor coated layer in the EL wire reacts to that light by emitting whatever color its setup for.

EL wire/sheeting has three specs you should pay attention to: Voltage, frequency and lifetime. If the first two are to spec, then it should last as long as the third figure states. If the voltage is too high, then the brightness will increase (because the electrons that jump will have more energy than usual, which means they give off more light when they drop). Same for frequency, except the rising/falling action occurs more frequently per second. Either way, this will reduce the effective lifetime.

 

for that !

Can I alter the voltage / frequency with resistors or anything ?
Or do I have to be patient and keep looking for the correct spec inverter ?

I can't be patient, I want to see my LCD running

 

You can lower the voltage with a potiental divider (not really of much use to you) or double the frequence with a bridge rectifier (diodes) thoug it won't be a sine wave (or whatever the transformer makes) it will be only positive then.
If it is square wave it will be DC then. But doubling the frequency will work for you.

Though if you lower it to ~30v it might work at 900Hz.

Another inverter is probably the best solution.

 

Thanks for the advice.

the hunt goes on.

If anyone can find a 100V AC 500Hz inverter that can be supplied to the UK I would be very grateful.

 

Hang about, in another thread you posted a link to the display, Toshiba spec calls for 110V +/-10V, 1,000Hz max on the inverter supply. You can get a 90V 900Hz inverter. So the frequency isn't a major problem, and the voltage is lower but not by much. The inverter isn't ideal, but it shouldn't do any damage.

Keep looking for a 500Hz 110V inverter, but keep that one in mind. Or email Toshiba for their comments. Worst they can do is not reply.

 

Hmm, what about a step-up transformer, in conjunction with the 90 volt/900 Hz inverter board?

 

Thanks cpemma

Silly noob me never looked at the maximum.
1Khz it is - the search is now looking more hopeful - now if only I could find that 900Hz one again