Tiny Display?

[jswayze]

Does anyone know where I can get a tiny 2 or 3-digit 7-segment LED (or LCD, for that matter) display? KingBright has one but it's still .6"x.6" and it's farily tall. I've heard about a obsolete package from HP that fit 4 digits into a 12-pin DIP, but I haven't found any of those.

I need the smallest, lightest display possible for an on-board electronics product I'm working on.

Thanks!

Jeff

[vintage1]

Out of an old Sinclair calculator..? :D :D

Seriously there used to be 0.3" high 7 seg displays - must be around still.

Probably find some on Ebay...

[MX]

Lumex has some pretty small 7-segment LEDs:

http://www.lumex.com/product_listing.asp?id=1000124

My MOD2 altimeters use an OSRAM SLG2016 4-character LED dot-matrix.

http://catalog.osram-os.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?catGroupOid=0000000000023497000b0023&favOid=0000000000023497000b0023&act=showProductGroups

For MOD3 altimeters I'm working on a custom LCD deal that does 4 7-segment digits with i2c interface. Very small, light, and low power.

MX

[MX]

What are you making? :)

[jswayze]

Wow, those Lumex displays are awesome... seems there's no stock though :(

What am I making? I was thinking about a data-logging altimeter. ;)

No, someone's already done that... well, I need to keep it under wraps at least until I have a prototype ready. Nothing earth-shattering, though. Don't forget I'm a mechanical engineer disguising myself as an EE. I'll leave it up to the pros to design cool stuff like data-logging altimeters :)

[MX]

Wow, those Lumex displays are awesome... seems there's no stock though :(

I asked for samples and got a couple of the 4-digit 0.28 high devices.



What am I making? I was thinking about a data-logging altimeter. ;)

No, someone's already done that... well, I need to keep it under wraps at least until I have a prototype ready. Nothing earth-shattering, though. Don't forget I'm a mechanical engineer disguising myself as an EE. I'll leave it up to the pros to design cool stuff like data-logging altimeters :)

I was just wondering if you're making a product with some volume, the LCD I'm getting has a fairly high minimum buy, and maybe I can find someone to split it with to ease the pain.

MX

[Acetronics]

:) Hi, JS

Did you had a look to HP's HDSP 2112 or 2502 alpha. displays ???

Alain

[westfw]

Does anyone know where I can get a tiny 2 or 3-digit 7-segment LED (or LCD, for that matter) display?
I need the smallest, lightest display possible for an on-board electronics product I'm working on.


Um. take apart one of those $2 import wrist-watches... (yeah, they'll
be a pain to connect to.)

As far as I know, multi-digit alphanumber semi-smart displays like the agilent
HCMS 2904 are still current and available, though they tend to be expensive
and power hungry. If you'd like one or two, I can send you a couple in return
for a SASE... (check the specsheet though; you have to do your own character
generation.)

The other trick is to do time-multiplexing on a smaller display. the model
rocket altimeter people have been doing that with beepers for a while:
3 beeps, pause, 2 beeps, pause, 5 beeps, long pause, repeat. 325 feet.
Could do it with a single LED or single digit of display as well...

BillW

[jswayze]

Alain and Bill- those smart displays would be nice, but they are awfully expensive. If I'm going to make any quantity of these, I need "small", not smart. I can use a microcontroller with a bunch of pins if I have to. That said, those displays are pretty neat. Bill, I'll PM you and take you up on your offer.

As far as multiplexing goes, that would work fine, but I'd like to take *some* of the burden off the user and let them see 1 or 2 numbes at a time.

I'm really liking that 4-digit Lumex display. I think it needs 8 pins or so from my micro, so that's doable. Cost might drive me to fewer digits, though... we'll see.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

-Jeff

[Dan Baldwin]

I'm really liking that 4-digit Lumex display. I think it needs 8 pins or so from my micro, so that's doable. Cost might drive me to fewer digits, though... we'll see.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

-Jeff
They are multiplexed, so if you are using 7 segments and 4 digits, you need 11 pins from the microcontroller. You need 12 if you want to control the position of the decimal point.

[Smashim]

Does anyone know where I can get a tiny 2 or 3-digit 7-segment LED (or LCD, for that matter) display? KingBright has one but it's still .6"x.6" and it's farily tall. I've heard about a obsolete package from HP that fit 4 digits into a 12-pin DIP, but I haven't found any of those.

I need the smallest, lightest display possible for an on-board electronics product I'm working on.

Thanks!

Jeff

Jeff

I found some very tiny 3 digit 7 segment displays chips in my shop. I have 5 of them. You will have to map out the connections to each segment and identify the common node but these things are tiny (the entire chip is approx 3/16"Hx5/8"L and i suspect the drive current is 5ma or less). you will have to multiplex your output to drive the display. if you are interested in them let me know (pete.vorenkamp@yahoo.com)

[Smashim]

Jeff

I found some very tiny 3 digit 7 segment displays chips in my shop. I have 5 of them. You will have to map out the connections to each segment and identify the common node but these things are tiny (the entire chip is approx 3/16"Hx5/8"L and i suspect the drive current is 5ma or less). you will have to multiplex your output to drive the display. if you are interested in them let me know (pete.vorenkamp@yahoo.com)

correct email = petevorenkamp@yahoo.com