Inventors:
George E. Holz - North Plainfield NJ
James A. Ogle - Neshanic Station NJ
Assignee:
Burroughs Corporation - Detroit MI
International Classification:
H05B 4130
H05B 4114
Abstract:
A method and circuit for operating a gaseous discharge device which, in one form, comprises a plurality of discrete gas cells, each having its own cathode and anode electrodes arrayed in a matrix such that the cells can be activated and sustained in different groupings to represent different characters. The gas cells may be small-area light sources arrayed in rows and columns, with each row of cells having a common cathode electrode, and each column of cells having a common anode electrode. Each cell can be turned on, and caused to strike a glow discharge, by having the required firing potential applied between its anode and cathode electrodes. Cells which have been thus turned on can be kept on, so as to impart a storage or memory characteristic to the matrix, by means of sustaining pulses applied directly to their anodes and cathodes, with no intervening current-limiting impedances being required. The desired operation, that is, the sustaining of glow discharge at a controlled level of current flow and light output, is achieved by properly tailoring the parameters of the sustaining pulses, that is, their amplitude, time duration, and repetition rate.