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I'd like to LED backlight a 4-digit LCD and wonder if anyone
has suggestions/comments or done anything similar

The first problem is that there's only 2mm between the top of the
driver IC (40 pin DIP) and the bottom of the display. I've tried
several types of LEDs and diffusing material (translucent acrylic,
white plastic, patterned shower plastic) but the gap is so narrow
hat the beam doesn't really have room to spread out. The best
result was a blue or white LED off to end sides about 20mm away
at a shallow angle. But I don't have room in the case to do that
unfortunately. Pity, looks good. Any closer and the brightness of
the LED highlights the "off" segments. Can't raise the LCD as
there's a limit on both case depth and actuator length of the push-
buttons I want to use

Ideally I'd like some diffuser that magically can spread the light out
evenly from several point sources

Another option is to put the driver on the other side of the PCB. The
connections between the IC and display are simplest as shown in the
picture. To keep that simplicity, the pins of the IC would have to be
bent up so that the top of the IC is against the bottom of the PCB. I
worry about whether this would cause premature failure (if so, how
premature ?) of it because of some kind of damage to the pin/body
seal


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