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| Filament Displays |
Filament displays were a niche alternative to the neon Nixie tubes that were the numeric display of choice during the 1960s. Sometimes sold under the brand name of Numitron, a filament display uses thin low voltage wires sealed in a vacuum to generate a lighted digit, similar to the way a lightbulb works. Unlike Nixie tubes, filament displays use a very low voltage, normally five volts or less, which makes them ideal for interfacing with modern TTL chips.
The tube-shaped Numitron later evolved into smaller DIP-style Minitron and Pinlite displays, still used in aircraft instrument panels due to their high visibility and extremely low failure rate.
| IEE Apollo DA20xx Series | |
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Devices included in this entry: IEE Numitrons Datasheet (PDF, covers numerous devices, including the DA2010 and DA2020) |
| IEE Apollo 2110 | |
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A subminiature version of the 2010. Tube has a seven segment display with decimal point and a nine pin flying lead base. As with the 2010, the 2110 has holes in its plate for a plus symbol that are unused in this model of tube. IEE Numitrons Datasheet (PDF, covers numerous devices, including the DA2010 and DA2020) |
| 'Minitron' 3015F | |
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A minitron is an advancement of filament display technology that follows the same evolutionary step as a panaplex neon display. Instead of being sealed into a tube, minitrons are constructed into rectangular DIP-style envelopes that can be easily integrated into modern circuit layouts. The 3015-F is a fairly standard example of such a device: it has a glass front bonded to a sheet metal case, which is covered with a removable plastic cover. This model of minitron was manufactured in at least two different styles, one of which has a black matte around the display area. Digit height on the 3015F is 10mm and the package is 23mm long from end to end. When operated at 5VDC, the 3015F is rated for 50,000 hours of continuous operation. 3015F / 3015G Datasheet (PDF, 173kb) |
| IEE Aurora FFD21 | |
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The FFD21, a 'minitron'-style display made by IEE, comes in a 15 pin package, which contains a single seven segment display and a separate filament to represent the decimal point. This display has a much larger display area than the 3015F: with a digit height is 17mm and a package length of 28mm, it is one of the largest 'minitron'-style filament displays ever made commercially available. The small pin in the bottom center of the display is a hollow metal tube that would have been used during construction to pump the air out of the enclosure. The FFD21 is rated for 100,000 hours of service at 5VDC and normal drive currents, twice as long as the more common 3015F minitron display. IEE Aurora Family Devices Datasheet (PDF, 95kb) |
| Lamps, Inc. 'Numeralamp' | |
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The Lamps, Inc. 'Numeralamp' is a fairly typical seven segment display with a standard nine pin base. The unusual feature which sets this device apart from other similar tubes is that it has a small stand-alone incandescent lamp as its decimal point indicator, technically making it a multi-envelope device. The Numeralamp also appears to have a second attachment point for another incandescent lamp at the top of the tube. |
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