DE2313036A1 - SEMIANALOGUE DISPLAY DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

Br. Lh. · - !: «! S * hl «

Note: | s | .V. Philips Gloeüa ^ penfabrieken

File No .: PHN- 6389 Registration from »I4. March 1973

Semi-analog display device.

The invention relates to a semi-analog Display device with a readout plate with readout members controlled by a control unit, which are shown in arranged side by side in a numerical sequence for a semi-analogous representation of the value of a quantity and in Groups of units are divided, with the first connections of all readout members in each group to one another and with a group control line belonging to the group in question and all second connections corresponding to Sequence of units are connected to one another in groups and to a unit control line belonging to the unit in question, which second connections on the The reading plate are in numerical order in the same plane near a connecting line, with the control

309840/0855

unit by means of a signal on a unit control line and activates a readout element on a standard control line.

To represent or display the value of a variable Both analog and digital instruments are used. The analog display instruments mostly use a rotating coil with a pointer that moves along a scale, while the digital display instruments are the ones to be displayed Display vert directly in digits. In certain applications it is desirable to set a size in a semi-analog way i.e. that the value changes with discrete jumps and can be read off with the help of an elongated scale let. Purely every discrete jump is then one to be activated Readout member, such as an incandescent lamp, a gas tube, a light emitting semiconductor, a liquid crystal or an electroluminescent cell is provided.

Today's assembly techniques use board-mounted printed wiring. It lies it is obvious to use a printed wiring board when making the above-mentioned linear scale and to mount the readout members next to one another in numerical order or to receive them in the plate. In order to save wiring, a selector known from telecommunications technology can be used to activate a readout element lon s method can be used in which when selecting

2
one of eg η possibilities these can be subdivided into η groups of η units. A group is created by selecting a specific group line and a unit is created by selecting one of the interconnected unit lines

309840/0855

2313035

found · In total there are only 2n WB guides instead

2 η lines. Even with gas-filled numeric display tubes such a possibility is applied in which the Groups are formed by the anodes and the units are formed by the corresponding cathodes connected to one another in groups. In British Patent 756,322 is in FIGS. 6 and 8 such a possibility is indicated.

A problem arises in connecting all of the respective units together using printed wiring. For branching off a standard adapter line to each connection of the corresponding readout element, wiring crosspoints are formed, which should be isolated. This problem can be solved by installing the wiring in two spatially separated flat levels and in the right places connections are made, or that individually to be assembled arc-shaped Bridges are placed on the board where all the wiring is printed in the same flat plane. However, these solutions make the printed wiring board expensive. If a plate is made of glass, like it happens when using liquid crystals, it is almost impossible to apply two wiring layers or To apply bridge connections.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a wiring board in which the wiring in the same is flat Level, so that the disadvantages mentioned are eliminated. There are inversions in the numbering of the unit lines when passing from one group to the next,

309840/0855

231303Θ

but this can be taken into account by proper control will·

A semi-analog display device of the type mentioned in the introduction is characterized according to the invention
marked that the unit control lines in the
said plane lie in mutually almost parallel meandering paths and do not cross each other, with each unit control line said connecting line at the point
one of said second connections intersects and the
Control unit contains a reversing device which, when selecting the odd groups, determines the numerical order for the excitation of a unit control line and, when selecting the even groups, determines the numerical complementary order.

An advantage of such a display device according to the invention is that the most expensive, ie the mechanical part, can be manufactured considerably more cheaply, while electronic applications can easily be implemented with the current state of the art in the field of integrated circuits * This is particularly important Interest when electronic counters are used in embodiments according to the invention
which are supplied with a certain number of pulses, with a readout element available for each counted pulse. »By selecting the counter type appropriately or by using simple aids, an increasing number of pulses can also be displayed with an increasing number of pulses
will.

309840/085 5

In one embodiment of the invention, liquid crystals can preferably be used as readout members · The advantage of the easy-to-manufacture readout plate with a small number of connections in combination with integrated control circuits is clear evident.

A display device according to the invention can be used in timers, frequency meters, tachometers, in automotive technology in tachometers and speedometers, and are used in those cases in which a display dial is required, such as tuning dials in radio equipment.

The invention is explained below with reference to the drawing, for example. Show it:

1 shows a known matrix for a display device,

2 shows a readout plate with readout members according to the invention with standard control lines,

3 shows the connections to group control lines belonging to FIG. 2,

FIG. K shows a modification of the wiring form according to FIG. 2,

Pig 5 a pulse counting device with a display device according to the invention,

6 shows the diagram associated with FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 shows a counter with a reversing device according to FIG Invention, and

8 shows an adding-subtracting counter with an inverting device according to the invention.

309840/0855

Pig · 1 shows readout members 1-24 arranged in three groups of eight units »The first connections of all readout members are with 1b - 24b and the second Connections labeled 1a - 24a. The first b-connections to a group control line 25, 26 or 27 interconnected. The second a connections are accordingly the order in which the units are numbered in groups for a unit control line belonging to each unit interconnected, which lines are designated in sequence with A to H

By energizing one of the lines A-H and one of the lines 25, 26 or 27, a specific readout element can be selected to represent a value of a quantity, which differ in steps from 1 - 24 leaves. Naturally, the resolving power can thereby be increased that several, e.g. eight, groups are selected so that 64 steps can be differentiated. Even 10 groups of 10 units can be selected to obtain a display accuracy tolerance of 1%.

From Fig. 1 it is clear that the unit control lines have many common crossing points that should be isolated. If printed for the control lines If wiring is used, it is not possible to put the wiring in the same flat plane.

Fig. 2 shows a wiring pattern according to the invention, in which the isolated crossing points are avoided. There are shown 64 connection electrodes arranged in a row for output members, of which the first with 111

309840 / 08SS

and the last one is labeled 119 · There are eight groups of eight units, so there are eight control lines. The first control line 129 runs from a connection terminal 121 to the first electrode 111f, the following unit control lines are connected to the terminal 122 and the second electrode, the terminal 123 and the third electrode, etc., so that the terminal 128 to the eighth electrode On the other side of the imaginary connecting line or the connecting strip 1 ^ 3 lie the connections with the units of the second group, of which the arch-shaped connection 130 connects the first electrode of group 1 with the sixteenth electrode of group 2 Inside this connection 130, the corresponding compounds for the other respective units are the groups 1 and 2j, these compounds are also arcuate and do not cross itself "the same pattern is found between the groups 3 and k _t 5 and 6, 7 and 8, wherein the Busseren compounds 132 , 13 ^ and 136 are designated · On the side of the strip 1 ^ 3, on which the unit tax lines are attached, corresponding arc-shaped connections are made between groups 2 and 3, k and 5 and 6 and · The smallest connection between adjacent electrodes is labeled 131 »133 and 135, respectively.

Fig. 3 shows how the connections for the groups can be arranged. The embodiment according to FIGS. And 3 is particularly suitable for the use of liquid Crystals as selection links. Therefore, in Fig. 3 as Group electrode a plate 1 ^ 5 with group control line

309840/0855

to terminal 15 ^ for the first group of units · Plate electrodes 146-152 with group control lines 164-170 and connection terminals 162, 155, 161, 156, 160, 157 and 159, respectively, are provided for the other groups. For the structure and effect of liquid crystals, see an article in "Electronics", June 6, 1970, pp. 64 - 68, and to an article in 'Radiomentor', August 1971, pp.472-477 referred,

Fig. 4 shows another track pattern related to is identical to that of FIG. 2 in terms of its effect. Due to the rectangular shape, some connections can be made shorter will. This is most evident for the first control line 190, which forms a straight line with branches 191, 192, 193 can, and for the highest-numbered control line 194 with Branches 195, 196 and 197 can be seen.

Fig. 5 shows the block diagram of a frequency meter, in which a control unit with a reversing device according to the invention is used.

The input signal, the frequency of which has to be measured, is fed to an input terminal 31 of an amplifier 32. The amplified signal is then fed to a pulse generator, the output of which is connected to an input of a NAND gate 34 and a NAND gate 35. The output of the gate 34 is connected to a monostable multivibrator 36, of which an inverting output is connected to a monostable multivibrator 37 void to a monostable multivibrator 38. One output of the monostable multivibrator 37 is to a second

309840/0855

Input of gate 35 and «the inverting output of monostable»! * Multivibrator 38 is connected to a «wide input of gate 34. The output of gate 3.5 is connected to the cooling input of a single counter 39, which has a transmission output and a group counter 40 is connected · It is assumed that the counters each contain three flip-flop * in a binary arrangement for counting a maximum of 8 χ 8 * 6h pulses. The execution of the non-inverting and inverting outputs of each flip-flop is shown for each counter alt 4i and 46. The unit outputs 4T are connected to a reversing device with control inputs, to which the non-inverting and inverting outputs of the first flip-flop of the group controller ho are connected via the connections 49 and 50. The six Auegangsleitungen the reversing device h2 are connected kj a Dekodierverrichtung whose eight control lines k $ form the unit control lines to the Eingangskleramen 121 - are connected 188 in Fig k - 128 in Figure 2 or to the input terminals 181st.. The six output lines k6 of the group cooler kO are connected directly to a decoding device 47 which contains eight group control lines 48 which are connected to the terminals 154, 155, 156, 157, 159, 160, 161 and 162 in FIG. The output of the monostable multivibrator 36 is also connected via an inverting amplifier 55 to two reset rings 56 and 57 of the counters 39 and 40.

6 shows a pulse series 61 over the time axis T.

309840/0855

applied, which pulse train is supplied from the pulse generator 33 in Fig x 5 "If it is assumed that the monostable MUIT! vibrators 36 _f 37 and 38 look at time zero in Figure · 6 are in their stable state shown in Fig. for monoetabilen Multivibrator 36 with the curve 6h of the diagram 62, for the monostable multivibrator 37 with the curve 67 of the diagram 65 and for the monostable multivibrator 38 with the curve 69 of the diagram 68, and that the first falling edge of a pulse of the series 61 to Time t _Q occurs, the monostable multivibrator 36 switches over via the gate 3k to a level 63 in FIG. 6 up to a time t ₂ , whereby the repetition time of the frequency measurement is determined of the diagram 65 during a time t _Q − t ₁ , whereby the frequency measurement time is determined in that the gate 35 now reads through pulses 61. The pulse 63 ends at the time t ", as a result of which the monostable multivibrator 38 starts and is in the unstable state for a time t" - t ", as is indicated by the level 70 of the diagram 68. This prevents the monostable multivibrator 36 from starting again immediately via the gate 3k , so that the capacitor therein has sufficient time to charge for the following measuring cycle 63. During this time t "- t", the level 70 is also offered to the inverter 55 in order to reset the counters 39 and kO to zero. As soon as the monostable multivibrator 38 is stable again (level 69) at the time t 1, the first falling edge of the pulse series 61 starts 2 μm

309840/0855

Time tj. a new measuring cycle.

In Fig. 7 are shown! the unit counter 39 with three flip-flops 51 »52 and 53» the ZShleingang } k and the transmission output 71; further the oruppenslhler kO with three flip-flops 58, 59 and 60 and the reversing device k2 with nine NAND gates 72-80. A first input of each of the gates 72, 75 and 78 is connected to the non-inverting output Q. of the flip- flops 51 »Q _n of flip-flop 52 resp.

Λ JD

Q-, of the flip-flop 53 connected · The second inputs of these gates are connected to one another and connected to the second control input 88 of the reversing device hZ , to which the line k9 _{originating from the non-inverting output Q n of} the flip-flop in the group counter ^ O is connected is. A first input of each of the gates 73t 76 and 79 is connected to the inverting output Q " _{A of} the flip-flop 51, Q _{8 of} the flip-flop 52 or 2L of the flip-flop 53. The second inputs of these gates are connected to one another and to the first control input connected to the reversing device k2 89 with which the originating direction of the inverting output 5_ of the flip-flops is connected to the 50th, the two inputs of each of the gates lh, TJ and 80 are connected together and to the interconnected outputs of the gates 72 and 73, 75 and 76 or 78 and 79 connected

The six output lines for the decoding device kk are connected to the outputs of the gates 72-80 via the terminals 81-86. * The mode of operation of the reversing device is as follows. In the zero position of flip-flop 58, which corresponds to the odd groups, the binary number that corresponds to the

309840/0855

Represents units and is stored in the counter 39, forwarded directly to the terminals 81-86; against it becomes in position one of the flip-flop 58 »which is the straight line Groups, each position of the flip-flops 51 - 53 is forwarded inverted to the terminals 81 - 86, i.e. that the complementary binary number is forwarded. For an increasing measured value, this means that the display is above the readout members will also be increasing, because in combination with the readout plate according to e.g. Fig. 2 the inversion, which was caused by a mechanical structural cause is eliminated electronically. With an increasing Number are in Fig. 2 successive terminals 121, 122 to 127, 128 for the first, the third, the fifth and the seventh group excited, while the inverter 42 for it ensures that one after the other in reverse order the terminals from 128 to 121 for the second, the fourth, the sixth and the eighth group will be aroused.

8 shows a block diagram of the unit counter and the reversing device kZ according to the preceding figures. Output lines 90 may be lines kk or lines h $ from FIG. 5, depending on the type of add-subtracter represented by the block in FIG. In the former case, the counter 91 is a binary counter and a decoding unit k3 is required; in the other case the decoding unit is included in the counter or the add-subtract counter is a shift register. The counting pulses which are fed to the input $ k either pass through the AND gate 98 when the flip-flop FF sends ^{a W} 1 "signal to the output 96

30 98 40/0855

suf leads, or the AND gate 99t when the output 97 supplies a "V signal. Via the gate 98 the counting pulses XB, the adding input 92 or via the gate 99 the subtraction input 93. When the counter 91 its start or end position happens, a transmission pulse occurs at output 9 ** * which is connected to the group counter terminal 71. In addition, this pulse causes flip-flop FP to tip over via line 95 _t , thus reversing the counting direction of counter 91 Two-direction counters, forward / backward counters or add / subtract counters are known and are described, for example, in US Patents 3 * 500.022 and 3.5 ^ .773.

309840/0855

Claims (1)

CLAIMS j Semi-analog display device with a read-out plate with read-out elements controlled by a control unit, which are arranged next to one another in a numerical sequence for the semi-analogous display of the value of a variable and are divided into groups of units, the first connections of all read-out elements in each group with one another and with one of the relevant group associated group control line and all second connections are connected to one another in groups according to the sequence of units and to a unit control line belonging to the relevant unit, which second connections on the readout plate in numerical order in the same plane in
in the vicinity of a connecting line, the control unit activating a readout element by means of a signal on a group control line and on a unit control line, characterized in that the unit control lines in the above-mentioned plane lie in almost parallel mSander-shaped paths and do not cross each other, each
Unit control line intersects said connecting line at the location of one of said second connections and the control unit contains a reversing device which, when selecting the odd groups, the numerical sequence for the excitation of a unit control line and when selecting the even groups, the numerical complementary
Order determined. 309840/0855 2. Display device according to claim 1 with a pulse counter as control unit, which contains a unit counter with a counting input for the pulses to be counted and displayed, to which the unit control lines are connected, and a group counter with a counting input, which is connected to the transmission output of the unit counter to which the group control lines are connected are, characterized in that the unit counter is an add-subtract counter and the inverter is one Connection from the transmission output to a counter input forms and under control of a pulse at the transmission output, the counter into the pulse-adding or the can put pulse subtracting position. 3 · display device according to claim 1 with a Pulse counter as a control unit, which contains: a unit counter with a counting input for the pulses to be counted and displayed, to which the unit control lines are connected, and a group counter with a counting input which is connected to the transmission output of the unit counter to which the group control lines are connected are, characterized in that the unit counter is a binary-coded series of flip-flops and a decoding unit to which the unit control lines are connected are, and that between the inverting and the non-inverting output of each flip-flop and the decoding unit, a gate circuit is arranged as an inverting device whose first and second control inputs are connected to the inverting and the non-inverting output de 309840/0855 2313038 first Pllp-flops of the group counter are connected, whereby In the zero position of these flip-flops, the odd groups corresponds to the non-inverted binary number of the unit counter the decoding unit and in the Bins position the complementary binary number is supplied 4. Display device according to claim 3, characterized in that that the gate circuit of each flip-flop of the unit counter contains three NAND gates, of which the first gate with an input to the non-inverting one Flip-flop output and the other input to the said second control input is connected, while the second gate has an input to the inverting flip-flop output and connected with another input to said first control input and the third gate with two interconnected inputs to the interconnected outputs of the first and second gates and to a first decoding control line is connected, the output of the third gate being connected to a second decoding control line connected. 5. Display device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the readout members are liquid crystals, the first connection of which is in the form of a plate serving as a counter electrode for a group, to which the group control line is attached, while the other connection forms the electrode which is included as an extended part in the meandering unit control line.
6 »Readout plate with readout members of the claim 1 ν ν 4 *. a * 309840/0855 described type,