Calculator displays

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Sat May 9 00:09:20 1998

On Fri, 8 May 1998, Doug Yowza wrote:

> On Fri, 8 May 1998 Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk wrote:
>
> > 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.
> >
> > Does anyone know of machines with such displays?
>
> Somebody was describing this same calculator to me yesterday. It was the
> Sharp EL-8 and had a 9-segment display.
>
> > At what date were they made?
>
> Weren't these the first microprocessor-based calcs (4004) from around
> 1974?
>
> -- Doug
>
 
I still have mine, though regrettably it does not respond to power now.
The display tubes are 9 elements, but only 8 segments. The ninth being a
decimal point. My recollection is that the numerals looked blue, but the
plastic window over the tubes is about Kelly green. Does orange filtered
through green look blue?

The semiconductor complement consists of six HD3120 0M dips and 3 HD3121
1A dips on one card, and the following 'flatpacks' on a second card:

        NRD2256
        DC2266
        AC2261
        AV2271

plus a CG1121 transistor. For its day, it was a rather nice packaging job!

I well recall paying the $345 to American Express (special to card
holders :} ) for it. They called it the ELSI-8, but the model number
was EL-8.
                                                 - don
Received on Sat May 09 1998 - 00:09:20 BST