back to the AGC, was Re: TTL 7400's Available

[Bob Shannon]

The alternatives were too heavy.

DSKY's (AGC 'terminals') in the LEM drove the weight equations.  Numitrons 
might
have been light enough, but probably would not survive the vibration 
stresses.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" 
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 2:04 AM
Subject: Re: back to the AGC, was Re: TTL 7400's Available


> On 2 Jan 2007 at 22:18, Brent Hilpert wrote:
>
>> Yes, I'm finding those references as well. Although it seems quite early 
>> for
>> electroluminescent displays too, don't know of anything else that was 
>> using
>> them at that time, esp. in 7-seg form.
>
> I recall a Popular Science (IIRC) article of around that same time
> gushing about how EL was going to revolutionize the world and one of
> the applications shown was a large 7 segment display.
>
> Work with EL generated quite a bit of interest back in the 60's,
> including light amplification for radiography (make a sandwich of
> dots of EL cells with CdS photoresistors and apply an AC voltage.
> The dark cells will tend to stay dark, while those that fluoresce
> under bombardment will form a feedback loop.)  Reminds me of making a
> code practice oscillator by sandwiching a carbon mic with an
> earphone.  I don't know if the technology ever made it to prime time.
>
> So that it used EL doesn't surprise me.  The only other alternatives
> (incandescent, plasma, mechanical) were probably too power-hungry
> and/or fragile.
>
> Cheers,
> Chuck
>
>