Address methods for Dc gas discharge display panels

Abstract

The address and drive circuit requirements of dc gas discharge display panels are described with particular reference to devices developed by Weston and Hall [1]-[3] and de Boer [6.] Drive systems are being developed for displays both with and without inherent memory. The choice of system available is dependent both on the type of information to be displayed and the characteristics of the discharge cells. In this paper the influence of factors such as ignition, maintaining and extinguishing potentials and spreads, ignition delay time and deionization or "recovery" time is discussed in relation to cyclically driven and storing displays and for various types of data. Two systems of particular interest are a tabular alphanumeric data display and a random-address graphics display. An experimental tabular display has been constructed in the laboratory and is briefly described. This is designed ultimately to present 800 characters simultaneously, but at present uses a composite matrix of 48 rows and 50 columns to show up to 48 characters for test purposes. Random-address drive systems for use with panels having internal resistors are also discussed. It is shown how, in both systems, a careful choice of bias and pulse switching conditions makes optimum use of the gas discharge characteristics.