12 Nov
2000
12 Nov
'00
12:52 p.m.
Hmm. I saw an interesting display device at a
friend's the other day,
in some sort of Genrad whatsit that he was getting ready to scrap.
(He's keeping the display digits though.) Each digit is a box with a
bunch of tiny incandescent bulbs mounted in the back; each bulb
illuminates one layer of plastic at the front; these layers are
stacked and each has a digit (or other symbol, e.g. decimal point)
etched in it (as a bunch of etched dots). There's a diagram on the
side of each digit-box that indicates which bulb illuminates which
digit or symbol.
Check out the following electronic calculator in my
museum of old calculators:
http://www.geocities.com/oldcalculators/canon161.html
It uses this exact type of display. Pretty amazing stuff.
Regards,
Rick Bensene
The Old Calculators Web Museum
http://www.geocities.com/oldcalculators