As a collector of vintage technology (especially LED and displays), I am very happy to find these rare 7-segment display from a seller on eBay a year ago. They have a great history that is from one of the countdown clocks / timers from the Kennedy Space Center Transfer Control Center / Rocket Transmitting Control Room, which is likely to be used in the moon launch of Apollo / Saturn!
I have purchased two different reading monitors to figure out how to use modern LED technology and microcontrollers to light them and finally build a clock / timer similar to the original unit. If the price of each digital accessory is more than $ 200, the price of this project itself is also very high, and the clock built by these rare artifacts is more expected. So I hope that through 3D printing and some modern technology, I can build enough replica to build 6-digit clock and make others can refer to the design of complete works.
It is estimated that these exhibits for these exhibits have been more than 50 years. According to the seller, he is Charles H. Bell's collection, and he is apparent to the object of the KSC Visitor Center / Museum's control room. Preliminary examination makes me believe that they use 7 incandescent lamps to illuminate all parts, although I have not yet determined which type - I have used early LEDs available at around 1969.
"Type A"; "TYPE B" (right side).
The display is processed by a solid aluminum block and has a radiator / heat sink - assuming that if an incandescent lamp is really used, they will heat and need to dissipate heat.
Show short heat sinks and thin front masks
Small display (I will be called Type a) using a metal plate with a cut mask and a diffuser - it is very thin, looks like a glass fiber or a very much PCB. I am not sure how to create a mask, but it seems to be etched from the metal material that looks like brass or copper, then welded to the motherboard.
The preliminary idea of producing replica components including 3 main parts.
(1) mask:
(A) Multi-layer mask whose laser cuts the vinyl bonding on a thin diffusion material.
(B) Black PCB with pre-cutting holes for segment
(C) laser cut acrylic resin filled with opaque epoxy resin filling segments
(2) Main / housing:
3D printing plastic body with a lamp hole.
(3) Backplane PCB
The backplane PCB is used to weld the LED lamps, resistors, and wiring, and the PCB will be connected to the 8-bore harness. Further improvements will place a dedicated microcontroller on each number, such as the BCD display latched by TITT PACKARD to reduce wiring burden.
Light of the original "A type" display.
After various experiments, the LED passed through the hole, I decided to use a 5mm diffusion white LED and started the position of the hole on the prototype PCB. The next task is to arrange the LED near the position of the hole, and is connected in a common cathode, and I have sold 7 limited stream resistors (200 ohms) directly on the back, and the cable is made through the single-wire cable. Be
Rear view of a type A housing and prototype LED module
All segments are lit
For convenience, I have built a 7-paragraph Numitron / PINLITES tester based on Arduino Pro MINI (the project is about to be launched), so it has been used for initial testing.
7 paragraph display tester has been wired
LED lights up to display the number 5
Further development is in progress, I am lit through various photos of the segmentation in 0-9, and use some alphanumeric characters in the test - maybe someone can use these images to make a virtual clock.
A larger display (referred to as B) uses internal reflected light scattering to illuminate the segment, and the interior cavity is coated with a white coating.
It is speculated that the side emission lamp is best suited for this design. For future development, I may consider using diffusion epoxy resin filling segments, sheets or some opaque laser cutting acrylic lenses.
Type B display and gasket and end support (front view)
The rear view of the B displane and the partition and end support.
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