ASTRO HAS DESIGNS ON YOUR MONITOR, NOT JUST A PRETTY PICTURE RSTRO DESIGn Inc. ,is the leading supplier of p~o­ grammable video signal generators and other graphtcs related equipment and systems such as im~ge pro­ cessors and graphics processors. Most Amencan and Japanese C RT monitor manufacturers and a number of European manufacturers are using our products to test, evaluate, and demonstrate their products efficiently and effectively. Satisfied customers - all. Some of the patterns that can be generated are: • Character patterns • Circular patterns • G ray-scale patterns • Dot patterns • Color-bar patterns • Cross-hatch patterns • Center marker, edge • Window patterning and corner markers, functions etc., etc. .. This is a sample display frame generated using the VG-807 A. It shows the superimposition of circular patterns, cross-hatches, horizontal color bars, vertical gray-scale patterns, a center marker, and six windows on a gray background plane. THE VG-807A PROGRAMMABLE VIDEO SIGNAL GENERATOR. The ultimate in programmable video signal generation is here. The VG-807A Programmable Video Signal Generator lets you generate virtually infinite varieties of video signals for testing, adjustment, evaluation, and demonstration of your video display/output devices ~ from commercial CRTs to the latest in super-high resolution CRT monitors, laser printers, etc. - - ----~~-- - ·~-- -- - ••-:til!~~ ~a .;.;.;~.;..;. SUPER-HIGH RESOLUTION: Signals for super­ high resolution monitors can be J!,enerated with H­ -+., . -·-···- Sync frequencies up to 200 kHz and dot clock - ~ -· • · • :. • ; - ~ frequencies from 5 to 160MHz. • · ~.. , . .. i -·- . ... ·.· .·.• ;. • !• :. H-Sync periods: 5.00 us- 81.92 us in 20 ns steps. - - - V-Sy nc periods: 100 H - 4000 H in I H steps. FEATURES.. SUPERB PATTERN GENERATION FUNC­ THE VG-807IS FULLY PROGRAMMABLE: Pressafew TIONS: The most complex of patterns can be keys and you get a new video signal tailored toJour own generated with utmost ease due to the use of the needs. All timing parameters can be programme . All out­ following four basic planes in addition to windowing puts can be controlled. All patterns and colors can be com­ fun ctions that allow flexible operations on window bined at ANY frequency. areas selected anywhere in the display area. • Graphic plane: 2048 X 2048 dots giving USER ROM FOR INSTANT LOADING OF PROGRAM­ high resolution. MING DATA: The programming data for over I00 signal • Color bar plane: Freely selectable width, color formats can be loaded in the form of a preprogrammed 8 K combination. and intensity. byte ROM inserted in the user ROM socket. • Gray-scale plane: Gray-scales with up to 127 SIMPLE TO OPERATE, EASY TO USE: A large, easy­ levels can be displared with freely programmable to-read 20-character by 2-line fluorescent alphanumeric bar width and mittal intensity. display guides the operator in a simple conversational mode. • Background plane: The intensity and color of the background plane can be set as required. LARGE VARIETY OF OUTPUT SIGNALS: All types of video signals are output separately. YOU R IMAGES ARE OUR BUSINESS VIDEO OUTPUTS: Analog outputs*: R, G, B, and composite video. Call or write T EAM SYSTEMS ECL Outputs: R, G, B, and half-tone R, G , B outputs. for more information or application TIL Outputs: R, G . B, and half-tone R, G . B outputs. assistance. SYNC OUTPUTS: H-Sync V-Sync H-Drive V-Drive Test & Measurement Systems, Inc. 0 349 Cobalt Way, Suite 301 ~~h: ~::~eo:;pnu~· t eve l :. E- --l· 2 ·~ ~ Sunnyvale, C A 94086 can be programmed in 'r0 · · G-..) ·- ~ Tel: (408) 720-8877!78/79. the following range: f · · · · ·~ ·- Video level: 0.3 V - 2 V A - .· - Ll!)~ across 75 Ohms lJ t Sync level: OV- 1V [ ~ : ; I "- :J Set-up level: OV- 0.5 V .. For lnlormollan circle Reader Service # 1 MAY 1986 VOL. 2 NO. 5 Cover: A GaAs photoconductive detector attached to the end of an electro-optic crystal provides high-speed pulse sampling.-J. Valdmanis. AT&T Bell Laboratories . FEATURES Touch system adds third coordinate to display screen 15 Simple components. simple electronics. and simple acoustical elements have been combined to produce an inexpensive touch-sensitive entry device that can be applied directly to a CRT or flat display screen. or to a glass overlay .-by Robert Adler. Peter J. Desmares, and James J. Fitzgibbon. Zenith Electroncis Corp., Glenview. IL. Three-electrode plasma panel cuts power requirements 18 By isolating the glow sustaining high-current pulses from the write-address vertical cover electrodes of an ac plasma display, engineers have producEd a gas discharge panel that uses smaller-area and lower-power integrated cir- cuit chips; and eliminates the need to retain low cover-electrode resistances.- by G. W. Dick. AT&T Bell Labs, Reading. PA. Laser-optics measure sub-picosecond speeds 21 An entirely optical sampling system. relying only on an electric field coupling between the electro-optic sampling medium and the circuit under evalua­ tion has been developed that operates in the picosecond range and temporal regime to measure new ultrafast electronic and optoelectronic devices and circuits.-JA. Valdmanis. High-Speed Materials and Phenomena Research Dept.. AT&T Bell Laboratories. Murray Hill, NJ. aao Display technologies: Amer~ration A retrospective on systems and applications 22 of Information Processing Societies DEPARTMENTS INFORMATION DISPLAY (The Official Events 2 Book Review 48 Journal of the Society for Information Editorial 3 Free Literature 53 Display) is edited for corporate research and development management: and en­ Call for Papers 5 President's Message 55 gineers. designers. scientists. and ergo­ Industry News 6 Chapter Notes 56 nomists responsible for design and development of input and output display Technology Update 12 Sustaining Members 58 systems used in various applications such as: computers and peripherals. in­ Products on Display 36 Ad Index 60 struments and controls, communica­ tions. transportation. navigation and guidance. commercial signage. and con­ sumer electronics. Editorial covers emerging technolo­ gies and state-of-the-art developments in electronic, electromechanical, and hardcopy display devices and equip­ ment; memory: storage media and sys­ tems: materials and accessories. <OIIC See us at S.I.D. '86 - Booth 54 May 1986 1 tact: Dr. Wallace Arden Smith. NATIONAL Philips Laboratories. 345 Scar­ borough Road. Briarcliff Manor. MAY 19-23: NAECON '86, National NY 10510 (914/945-6032) Aerospace and Electronic Confer­ ence. Dayton. OH. Contact: NAECON '86. 110 E Monument. JUNE 8-13: 1986 International Dayton. OH 45402. IEEE/AP-S Sym posium and USNC/URSI Meeting, Wyndham MAY ZS-30: 152nd National Meet­ Franklin Plaza Hotel. Philadelphia. ing of the American Associa­ PA. Contact: Charles C. Allen. Gen­ tion for the Advancement of eral Electric Space Div. Va lley Science. Philadelphia. PA. Con­ Forge Space Center. Room tact: MAS. 1333 H Street NW. U4018, PO Box 8555. Philadel­ Washington. DC 20005 (202/ phia. PA 19104 (215/354-4595) 326-6400) MAY 28-30: Performance 86 and JUNE 9-11 : Color Reproduction ACM Sigmetrics-1986 Joint Principles for Hard Copy Sys­ Conference on Computer Per­ tems. Rochester. NY Contact: Pe­ formance Modeling, Measure­ ter G. Engeldrum.lmcotek Inc .. PO ment and Evaluation, Raleigh. Box 113. Walworth. NY 14569 NC. Co-sponsored by Association (315/597 -2276) for Computing Machinery (ACM) Sigmetrics. and IFIP WG. Contact: J UN E 9-13: International Quan­ Harry G. Perras. North Carolina tum Electron ics Conference, State University. Raleigh. NC Phoenix. AZ. Contact: Joan 27695 (9 19n37 -2858) Carlisle._ Meetings Manager. Opti­ cal Soc1ety of America. 1816 JUNE 1-6: Third International Net­ Jefferson Place NW. Washington. work Planning Sym posium­ DC 20036 (2021223-0920) Networks '86. Tarpon Springs. FL. Contact: Warren Falconer. AT&T JUNE 1 0-13: Conference on Lasers Bell Labs. Crawfords Corner Road. and Electro-Optics (CLEO '86), Holmdel. NJ 07733 (201/949- San Francisco. CA. Contact Joan Carlisle. Meetings Manager. Opti­ 1500) cal Soc1ety of America. 1816 JUNE Z-4: 19861EEE MTT-S Inter­ Jerrerson Place. NW. Washington. national Microwave Symposi­ DC 20036 (2021223-0920) um, Baltimore. MD. Contact: Edward C. Niehenke. Westing­ JUNE 12-13: 25th Annual Techni­ house Electric Corp .. PO Box 746. cal Symposium- Distributed MS 339 Baltimore. MD 21203 Information Systems: Emerg­ (30 1n65-4573) ing Uses and Technology. Na­ t ional Bureau of Standards. JUNE 3-5: Vision 86---lnternation­ Gaithersburg. MD. Contact: Wilma al Conference and Exposition M. Osborne. B266 Technology on Applied Machine Vision, De­ Building. National Bureau of Stan­ troit. MI. Cosponsored by Society dards. Gaithersburg. MD 20899 of Manufacturing Engineering (301/921-3545) (SME). Machine Vision Association of SM E. and Automated Vision As­ JUNE 16-19: NCC '86-National sociation. Contact: SME 1 SME Computer Conference, Las Drive. PO Box 930. Dearborn. Ml Vegas, NV. Sponsored by Ameri­ 48121 (313/271 -1 500) can Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS). Data JUNE 3-5: First Annual Conference Processing Management Associa­ on Optical Storage for Large tion (DPMA). IEEE Computer Soci­ Systems. The New York Hilton. ety (IEEE-CS). Association for New York. NY. Contact: Judith P. Computing Machinery (ACM) . and Hanson. TOC Conference Coordi­ Soc1ety for Computer Simulation nator. Technology Opportunity (SCS). Contact: AFIPS Conference Conference. PO Box 14817. San Dept.. 1899 Preston White Drive. Francisco. CA 94114-0817 Reston. VA 22091 (703/620- (415/626-1133) 8900) JUNE 4-6: NECC '86--7th National JUNE 18-ZO: 3rd Mid-Central Educational Computing Con­ Ergonomics/ Human Factors Complete Guns, Stems, Cathodes, ference. Town and Country Hotel. Conference, Oxford. OH. Spon­ San Diego. CA. Contact: Susan M. sored by the Tri-State Chapter of Other Components Zgliczynski. School of Education, the Human Factors Society. Con­ University of San Diego. San tact: Leonard S. Mark. Psychology Diego. CA 9211 0 (619/260- Dept .. Miami University. Oxford. OH 45056. ~(j)ll!J'ij'[X]\W)~~'ii' \YJ ffi©ll!lll!lri'Al [ID~\YJ~©~~p mll©o 4821) P.O.