| Burroughs DC106A Nixie Tube Decade Counter | |
| Written by AnubisTTP on 2007-05-28 |
|
The DC106A is an all-tube decade counter module manufactured by Burroughs. The core of the device is a BD-301 magnetic beam switching tube, which uses a hollow cylindrical magnet to guide an electron beam around a ring of target electrodes in a controlled sequence. The magnetic beam switching tube directly drives a B-5092 nixie tube, which displays the current value by ionizing number-shaped cathodes. The interface and control hardware consists of a 5963 and a 6189 (both computer-rated dual triodes), several neon bulbs, and a large matrix of resistors and capacitors. The entire module appears bulky to the point of being ridiculous; nonetheless it was a significant improvement, both in speed and readability, compared the 'dekatron' style glow transfer counters it was designed to replace.
Burroughs DC106A Nixie tube decade counter, normal operation.
Return to Display & Counting Circuits
