Minimum thickness

.013"

.010"

Electro Magnetic  Interference (EMI)

NO

YES

Tooling

Low cost with fast turnaround

High cost with long lead time for  changes

Cost per square inch of active area

$.25 to $.80 + light source

$.80 to $2.00 + inverter cost

Life

Fiber optic panel is functionally passive; standard light  sources' typical ranges are 1 K to 40K hrs. (see "Ease of  Maintenance")

1K to 4K hours "half life" Significantly  less for temperatures of 40'C+and  humidity of 80%+

Ease of maintenance

Simple; Replace light source only

Moderate; Desolder and replace entire EL panel and  resolder

Power source 

User selects light source Typically 2.5 to 14 volts AC or DC  (no inverters needed)

AC only. Requires inverter at$4.00 to $30.00  each

Durability

Excellent; Very rugged

Good; Very rugged

Power consumption

Low to high. Choose from LED, vacuum, gas filled, and  halogen

Moderate to high

Moisture effect

None

Dark spots and shortened life

Shelf life degradation

NO

YES

Heat generation

None at panel. Heat at remote light source

Minimal. Heat at inverter

Color

Wide Variety

Standard green or white Custom colors available

Temp. Operating:

-50°C to +85°C**

-40†C to +85†C*

Storage

-50°C to +85°C

-40†C to +85†C