| Sperry SP-152 & SP-353 Series Panaplex Display | |
| Written by AnubisTTP on 2006-09-26 |
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Devices included in this entry:
Sperry SP-152 panaplex (1.5-digit bathtub)
Beckman SP-353 panaplex (3-digit bathtub)
Beckman SP-356 panaplex (4-digit bathtub)
Panaplex displays are a late development in neon display technology. Instead of encasing the display elements in a tube style envelope, panaplex displays use a long flat bathtub-shaped envelope, to which a piece of glass is bonded after the internals of the tube have been assembled. The line of parts shown here represent an earlier style of panaplex display, with rear mounted leads and a thick black envelope. Newer displays have thinner envelopes and leads that exit the bottom edge of the display. The SP-353 and SP-352 displays shown here were first announced in 1973, making them fairly late arrivals to the world of gas filled readouts.
The SP-353, shown in the thumbnail, is a 3 digit device that is fairly representative of the family of parts. The SP-152 is a 1.5 digit variant without sign, which has a set of colon separators to the right of the least significant digit, for use as a clock display.
Beckman SP-353, a three-digit variant. This Sperry-designed envelope is intended to be mounted directly adjacent to other displays of the same type, to construct larger display assemblies.
Beckman SP-356, a four-digit variant.
Sperry SP-152 panaplex display at rest.
A Sperry SP-353 neon display tube with 500 of its closest friends.
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