Calculator displays

From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
Date: Fri May 8 12:44:20 1998

<> The electronic one was interesting mainly for its display. It was
<> fluorescent (greenish digits sealed in a long glass tube), but not
<> 7-segment. Instead, there were (I think) nine segments, all of strange
<> curly shapes, which made up digits much easier to read than the angular
<> blocky, 7-segment types. But I can no longer remember how these were
<> arranged, nor even any details like the manufacturer of the calculator
<
<These are called "Nixie Tubes". But don't ask me much more about it. I
<just know what they're called. I have at least one nixie-tube calculato

Not Nixie tubes as they were exactly 12 "segments" 0-9 and a decimal point
on either side. Their color was neon orange from the gas use to fill
them. They were glow discharge rather than fluoresent typically bluish
green. VF diplays were also available in red, yellow, blue, green and
white or combinations. Both technologies are from the "magic eye" tubes
and neon lamps of 30years+ prior.

The biggest difference between nixie from a calculator standpoint was
nixies needed about a 60-80 volt swing to ignite/quench at low current
where VF displays were typically 10-30v.

I have a 40x2x(7x5) dot matrix character display bottle (VF) and several
7 segment claculator displays also VF in raw form. Nixies, my Yasu 355D
frequency counter uses them (purchased new in 1974!) still works.


Allison
Received on Fri May 08 1998 - 12:44:20 BST