[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
> >
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> 
> 
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