Odd 7-segment display

This conversation has been such a nice change from the flame wars I see here, so often. And it is a pleasant experience to finally meet a Vulcan. ;-)

On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 01:37:01 -0500, John Popelish Gave us:

Yeah! So there!!!

I guess I'm a Vulgan ;-]

Perhaps you should try to get the thing working now that you're armed with more knowledge? If you find the Numitrons and would like to get rid of them I'd happily give you something for a set. I build clocks using odd old display devices.

Do you have a web site or a link to some pictures? I collect clocks, watches and all things horological and am also interested in constructing unusual time pieces.

Most drivers for LED displays (CA3161 etc) have the resistors built in for direct connection. But you should check the data sheet for your particular one.

I don't, but if you do a search for nixie clock gallery you can find pictures of all sorts built by other people.

Since I dug my PIC stuff back out the other day, I've been tinkering around with something I've wanted to do for a while. It's sort of a variation on the propellor clock but with a pendulum, so back and forth not around. I'm able to strobe out messages on a column of LEDs, but I'm not sure a pendulum (even a short one) is going to swing fast enough to give a very readable display. I may have to switch to a ceiling fan version. ;-)

It works if the size is small, you can buy these ready made at Target and similar stores. They use an electromagnet to oscillate the pendulum which is about 6" long and very light weight.

if the pendulum is short enough (about 1" to centre of mass) it should swing fast enough with gravity alone

Bye. Jasen

Incandescent, but not Numitron ... I think. ISTR that Numitron displays were packaged in glass envelopes, like the Nixie or your garden variety "valve" (tipping my hat to Brits), and were designed to stand upright. Your device, on the other hand, is 16-pin DIP.

I have a handfull of these things, purchased new circa 1972 from a small "TTL chips and stuff" mail order company in Missouri (if memory serves) for use in the second digital clock I had designed. (First clock used Nixies) Nixies turned out to be way too bright though, and there were no inexpensive 7-segment LEDs back then. The incandescent wires drew a low of current, and 6 displays required a robust p.s., so I replaced these displays with LEDs as soon as the latter became available.

The incandescent displays I have are not marked with a manufacturer's name, just "8-43-19" silk-screened in white paint on one side of the black case.