At 09:42 AM 1/21/2003 -0700, you wrote:
Actually, LEDs take up very little power. About 2mA for a green LED. Figure about 5-10 LEDs per camera and you have about 10-20 mA. That's constant power. If you do some smart programming behind them and flicker them at a high enough rate that a human eye wouldn't see it, then you have cut your power consumption in half. Add that to a 10 second lag lit time after the last button push, and so on you can really cut down power usage. LEDs are SMT (surface mount technology) and are about the size of an 0603 resistor (.06 x .03 inches, get out your magnifier) so they are easy to design into closed and sealed systems. All you need is a semi-transparent tough plastic over it to let light out.I am sure illuminated buttons are technically easy to do. The only problem is that they may not stand up to the adverse working conditions pro cameras are likely to be subject to, like cold, sand and moisture sealing, etc. And people will complain about power drain (cell phone users are used to recharge everyday so that is not a problem for them).Thanks, Francis
We worry more about how much power each cellular call is taking up over LEDs any day. Also, we have to use ultra slim batteries that hold only 800-1500 mAh (milli Amp hours, that's 0.8 to 1.5 Amps for one hour), not multiple cells like a camera.
Rick H.
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