[time-nuts] Thunderbolt monitor
Didier Juges
didier at cox.net
Thu Jul 17 02:46:50 UTC 2008
One issue with the Noritake display (common to all VFD devices) is that it
draws over 100mA of current at 5V. A 3 terminal linear regulator running
from 12V will need a reasonable heat sink to operate. A better choice would
be a small switching regulator such as the LT1375 which I have used in a
great many products. It's a small 8 pin device that requires only a handful
of external components to convert 12V to 5 with excellent efficiency (no
heat sink required). I may lay out the PWB for both types of regulators,
depending on the type of display you want to use.
Didier KO4BB
> -----Original Message-----
> From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com
> [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On Behalf Of jshank
> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 8:59 PM
> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt monitor
>
> The Noritake display looks great.
> I am hoping that a kit of this proposed Thunderbolt monitor
> with the Noritake display will be made available through TARP
> in the near future. I am sure that many of the Thunderbolts
> which recently became available would benefit from such a kit.
> Jeff
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Didier Juges" <didier at cox.net>
> To: "Time-Nuts" <time-nuts at febo.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 12:47 AM
> Subject: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt monitor
>
>
> >I made a second version (same firmware) of the Thunderbolt monitor.
> >This one uses the plastic DIP version of the processor mounted on a
> >small Radio Shack proto board and it uses a gorgeous
> Noritake Vacuum
> >Fluorescent display.
> >
> > The interface between the Noritake and any ordinary LCD
> display is the
> > same ( as far as pin-out is concerned), except that the
> Noritake does
> > not have a contrast adjustment. Otherwise, the firmware is
> the same,
> > once the differences are accounted for. The Noritake is
> generally much
> > faster than most 2 line LCDs when updating the data, but requires a
> > little more time to initialize themselves at power up. My
> software can
> > drive either display without modification.
> >
> > The Noritake displays have a software command to adjust the
> brightness
> > down to half, and that's it. My firmware does not take advantage of
> > that feature, which I find relatively useless, but may prolong the
> > life of the display.
> > The VFDs only have a few years of life under continuous
> operation, so
> > dimming the display or turning it off altogether when not
> needed might
> > be a good idea.
> >
> > See pictures at http://www.ko4bb.com/Timing/GPSMonitor/
> >
> > Didier KO4BB
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com To unsubscribe, go to
> > https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
> > and follow the instructions there.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com To unsubscribe,
> go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.
More information about the Time-nuts_lists.febo.com
mailing list