Illuminator (backlight)

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An electro luminescent backlight used in some Casio watches like DW-5600E-1V

A DW-5600E-1V G-Shock. This was one of the first ILLUMINATOR watches.

Illuminator is an electroluminiscent LCD backlight development used in some Casio watches (Also known as Fox Fire). The Timex corporation has its very own similar technology called Indiglo. Casio also uses the term "Illuminator" for LED backlighting in many of its watches.

History

In response to the Indiglo backlight which Timex had introduced in 1992, Casio introduced in 1995 an electroluminescent backlight on its modules. One of the first models was the Casio DW-5600E, commonly known as the G-Shock Illuminator (where the "E" of the model number means Electroluminescent), since one of the things that highlight this watch is the blue/green light that makes the display visible under any light condition.

In reference to this, domestic models (Japan) would typically bear the term "Foxfire", while export models bore "Illuminator."

See also

• Electroluminescence
• Casio
• Timex
• Indiglo
• Foxfire (bioluminescence)

References

• Umbreakable. Carlos Perez, August 30, 2002. Accessed May 2006.

External links

• Overview of electroluminescent display technology, and the discovery of electroluminescence