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isochronic
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Joined: 21/01/2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 689

Posted: 09:48am 23 Sep 2018

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These don't look bad...they are a nixie alternative of sorts,
maybe lots of options

lixie

robert.rozee
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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 2475

Posted: 12:34pm 23 Sep 2018

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i remember seeing a cool predecessor to this, described as a 'rune clock' years ago:
http://hackedgadgets.com/2006/03/19/scratchitti-edge-lit-rune-clock/

i always felt the shortcoming - shared with nixie tubes - is that some digits are sitting at the back of the stack and so not as clearly visible.

here's an interesting question: what is the minimum number of overlaid patterns required to represent the decimal digits "0" to "9"? the number should be no more thn 7, as we already have 7-segment displays. but could one get away with less?

a theoretical lower-limit may be 4, as that would be the minimum required to represent 10 different states in binary.

btw: i don't know the answer. but it is an interesting puzzle!

cheers,
rob :-)

CaptainBoing

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Joined: 07/09/2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2171

Posted: 06:21pm 23 Sep 2018

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when I was anaprentipede at EMI (early 80s) I remember we had a Wayne Kerr (phnarr phnarr) precision bridge that used these. I never really got into how they actually worked... thanks

MicroBlocks

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Joined: 12/05/2012
Location: Thailand
Posts: 2209

Posted: 04:43am 25 Sep 2018

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Should be able to do it in 4 layers.
But the layers will have to be split horizontal and vertical with a light barrier in between.
This could be done by gluing aluminum foil in between.

Microblocks. Build with logic.

JackRabbit
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Joined: 21/07/2018
Location: United States
Posts: 14

Posted: 11:17pm 25 Sep 2018

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CaptainBoing said when I was anaprentipede at EMI (early 80s) I remember we had a Wayne Kerr (phnarr phnarr) precision bridge that used these. I never really got into how they actually worked... thanks

The ones I recall had dotted line rather than continuous engraving, like these KGM's.

My favorite of the old numeric display technologies that I recall from my early days in the industry has to be the Dekatron with the Nixie a close second.

Edited by JackRabbit 2018-09-27

CaptainBoing

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Joined: 07/09/2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2171

Posted: 08:39am 26 Sep 2018

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@JackRabbit

Yep - hat is precisely like I remember. Thanks

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