Re: [neonixie-l] Interesting document on Krypton-doped nixies,,,
I notice in the Burroughs Bulletin N101 Nick posted that the block diagram on page 2 shows a core memory! Reference in the text to the recirculation loop leaves no doubt. I'm curious to know if anyone has ever seen a Nixie instrument with a core memory? Presumably they must have existed sometime, somewhere, but I would have thought the cost - together with the recirculation loop and write electronics - would be substantially more than a few BCD to decimal decoders, even in the days before TTL. I do recall, however, that one of the Anita nixie calculators had a magnetic memory - a torsion delay line. It was kind of like a clock spring made out of stiff wire. An actuator would twist it at one end and the torsion wave would go round all the coils and appear at the other end some milliseconds later, where it was sensed and fed back to the beginning. So you could store data in it, like a very fast tape loop. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/5ee496bc-8d99-4da2-b938-c2fba7c76eb1%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [neonixie-l] Interesting document on Krypton-doped nixies,,,
I do recall, however, that one of the Anita nixie calculators had a magnetic memory - a torsion delay line. It was kind of like a clock spring made out of stiff wire. An actuator would twist it at one end and the torsion wave would go round all the coils and appear at the other end some milliseconds later, where it was sensed and fed back to the beginning. So you could store data in it, like a very fast tape loop. I had a couple of calculators that used that kind of memory. One was a Singer/Frieden, I forget the make of the other one. They also used CRTs for display, with some clever logic to vector-trace seven segment digits onto the screen. They both showed a 3-level stack. Nifty devices, until my sister threw them out. I also had a nixie calculator. It was made back in the days when calculators were really expensive, so it had one math box, and four terminals. It could only make one calculation at a time, but since calculators spend most of their time waiting, this was apparently not much of a problem. It had a bunch of digits, Each terminal had 13 CD66 nixies for the display and a neon bulb for the - sign. It had old-style diode ROM, with boards covered with arrays of diodes in various patterns. It died when a power supply capacitor failed, making all the nixie displays strobe with an interesting rolling effect as the power line frequency beat with the multiplex frequency. I was young and poor, and stripped the poor thing for parts. I still have one of the display boards, minus one of its CD66 nixies. - John -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/70FEAB4F-FE8B-48D7-B4FE-F5A746A8564E%40mac.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [neonixie-l] Interesting document on Krypton-doped nixies,,,
Were the CRT calculators Busicom? One of those was the first thing I ever programmed... Punch cards with an instruction rate of ten per second! I seem to recall it had a magnetostrictive coil memory, an acoustic delay line using wire that behaves like piezo electric stuff does but with magnetism instead. Cheers, Robin. On 18 Apr 2014, at 13:28, John Rehwinkel jreh...@mac.com wrote: I do recall, however, that one of the Anita nixie calculators had a magnetic memory - a torsion delay line. It was kind of like a clock spring made out of stiff wire. An actuator would twist it at one end and the torsion wave would go round all the coils and appear at the other end some milliseconds later, where it was sensed and fed back to the beginning. So you could store data in it, like a very fast tape loop. I had a couple of calculators that used that kind of memory. One was a Singer/Frieden, I forget the make of the other one. They also used CRTs for display, with some clever logic to vector-trace seven segment digits onto the screen. They both showed a 3-level stack. Nifty devices, until my sister threw them out. I also had a nixie calculator. It was made back in the days when calculators were really expensive, so it had one math box, and four terminals. It could only make one calculation at a time, but since calculators spend most of their time waiting, this was apparently not much of a problem. It had a bunch of digits, Each terminal had 13 CD66 nixies for the display and a neon bulb for the - sign. It had old-style diode ROM, with boards covered with arrays of diodes in various patterns. It died when a power supply capacitor failed, making all the nixie displays strobe with an interesting rolling effect as the power line frequency beat with the multiplex frequency. I was young and poor, and stripped the poor thing for parts. I still have one of the display boards, minus one of its CD66 nixies. - John -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/70FEAB4F-FE8B-48D7-B4FE-F5A746A8564E%40mac.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/AD65A11F-6D55-422F-B279-5C27625A563D%40cqr-ltd.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: [neonixie-l] Interesting document on Krypton-doped nixies,,,
Were the CRT calculators Busicom? No, one was a Singer/Frieden, the other was something else (but I don't think it was Busicom). One of those was the first thing I ever programmed... Punch cards with an instruction rate of ten per second! These weren't programmable, just add, subtract, multiple, divide, maybe a couple of other things. I seem to recall it had a magnetostrictive coil memory, an acoustic delay line using wire that behaves like piezo electric stuff does but with magnetism instead. That could be - I remember the big coil of wire in the base, but didn't know enough in those days to tell the difference between magnetostrictive and torsion memory. - Cheers, John -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/364912FE-E976-428E-914A-9FDF6FFF8192%40mac.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
[neonixie-l] Nixie calculator with core plane memory
I have a Wang Engineering calculator about 1968 with desktop keyboard and Nixie display with electronics in a small suitcase which sat under the desk and a printer which did spark-erosion on aluminized paper. Core plane memory allows a program to be halted at the end of the work day when the system is powered off. Next day when you turn it back on, a lamp illuminates to indicate that it is still running the program ! No instant results when you hit execute back then. Phil B. - Original Message - From: petehand To: neonixie-l@googlegroups.com Sent: Friday, April 18, 2014 4:52 AM Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] Interesting document on Krypton-doped nixies,,, I notice in the Burroughs Bulletin N101 Nick posted that the block diagram on page 2 shows a core memory! Reference in the text to the recirculation loop leaves no doubt. I'm curious to know if anyone has ever seen a Nixie instrument with a core memory? Presumably they must have existed sometime, somewhere, but I would have thought the cost - together with the recirculation loop and write electronics - would be substantially more than a few BCD to decimal decoders, even in the days before TTL. I do recall, however, that one of the Anita nixie calculators had a magnetic memory - a torsion delay line. It was kind of like a clock spring made out of stiff wire. An actuator would twist it at one end and the torsion wave would go round all the coils and appear at the other end some milliseconds later, where it was sensed and fed back to the beginning. So you could store data in it, like a very fast tape loop. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/5ee496bc-8d99-4da2-b938-c2fba7c76eb1%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/BLU0-SMTP7172E3888DD3F4CAC26B9BC15D0%40phx.gbl. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
[neonixie-l] Chronotronix V400 clock dead power supply
Folks, I was recently mailed a Chronotronix V400 clock to see if I could repair it. This is a 6 digit clock with bi-quinary B-5025 tubes and a MAX1771 power supply. It has a blown fuse, and the IRF840 ran hot for a while (the board is blackened). It and the the HV filter cap were replaced, as the solder joints are newer. The little L4 inductor next to the IRF840 looks like its solder joint overheated, as the PC board there is damaged. The anode resistor on the leftmost digit even anode is also cooked. Perhaps this tube was bad and overloaded the supply for a while? Do any of you have experience in working in this clock or similar, and/or do these symptoms sound familiar? -- David Forbes, Tucson AZ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/5351FA57.5080301%40dakotacom.net. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
[neonixie-l] Re: Chronotronix V400 clock dead power supply
Most MAX1771 designs are remarkably similar - whilst failure is rarae, its generally down to a few possibilities... - The MAX1771 failed and is keeping the FET on, which cooks it as the current limit resistor (if used) with be ignored. This will also cook the inductor. - The FET fails with D-S short. Similar symptoms to the first mode - The supply, if designed and running properly, should not be capable of being overloaded - it has a current limiting resistor. - The inductor has an internal short (rare failure mode). - The inductor has been replaced with one whose maximum DC current is too low - for most nixie PSUs, at least 1A capacity is required - For some reason, there is high frequency parasitic oscillation in the PSU - MAX1771 designs normally run at about 60kHz - if the thing has parasitic oscillation (typically in the MHz region), the FET will cook. Have a look at my MAX1771 page ( http://www.desmith.net/NMdS/Electronics/NixiePSU.html) for pretty much all you need to know about them along with recommended components. Nick -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups neonixie-l group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/09a16901-8979-4ca1-a260-5f1ab2f661f2%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
