Abstract: A backlighting system is placed in an elongated interior space within a personal digital assistant (PDA) which normally houses a stylus used to touch a liquid crystal display (LCD) touch and display screen. A backlight driver circuit is constructed on a printed circuit board (PCB) which fits within the elongated space, and an on-off switch extends from the PCB to an exterior hole formed in the PDA housing. An on-time control turns off power to the backlight driver circuit after a predetermined time has elapsed following activation of the on-off switch, and a dimming control controls the amount of energy delivered to the electroluminescent film. A torroidal switching transformer of a high voltage power supply minimizes noise, and a switching controller switches adjustable width current pulses through the transformer to regulate the high voltage level. A flyback circuit captures and uses a portion of the back EMF energy created when the current pulses are switched through the switching transformer.