| MSC 351 Series Fiber Optic Incandescent Display | |
| Written by AnubisTTP on 2009-02-23 |
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Devices included in this entry:
MSC 351-25977-009 light pipe module (5 digit numeric display, shown in thumbnail)
MSC 351-25977-010 light pipe module (8 digit numeric display)
MSC 351-35577-007 lamp and decoder module
Fiber optic light pipe displays like this one are a close relative of the Dialco display pictured above, in that they use incandescent bulbs to light a seven segment pattern on a single plane surface. Unlike the comparatively economical Dialco display however, a light pipe display uses bundles of fiber optic cables to present a fixed bitmap image of a number. The display seen here is actually equipped with sixteen segment light pipe arrays, but the unused fiber optic cables have been covered with epoxy. Each plastic-encased driver module contains an Intersil 5600 read only ROM chip which functions as a character decoder for the individual lamps. Unlike the Dialco display above, the lamps in this device are non-replaceable.
The lamps in this display can be non-destructively replaced with 3mm LEDs by the modern electronics hobbyist, but the combination of non modular digit construction and awkward digit spacing make this device a poor choice for a project.
MSC 351 series 5 digit light pipe display. Individual part numbers are 351-25977-009 for the light pipe module and 351-35577-007 for the lamp module.
MSC 351 series 8 digit light pipe display. Individual part numbers are 351-25977-010 for the light pipe module and 351-35577-007 for the lamp module.
MSC 351-35577-007 lamp module, internal detail.
Like many incandescent displays, MSC light pipe displays work well with modern LEDs.
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