Word: crts
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Dates: during 1972-1972
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Such "alphanumeric" displays are not entirely new. Since the 1960s, cathode ray tubes (CRTs) similar to those in home TV sets have been used to perform such varied chores as giving stock information in brokerage offices, confirming reservations at distant hotels, and even showing air traffic patterns over crowded airports. For simpler tasks, such as those performed by electronic meters-where only numbers are needed on display panels-there are smaller and less expensive devices called gas discharge tubes. The Burroughs Corp.'s popular Nixie tube, for example, contains ten overlapping electrodes that form the digits...
Despite their many uses, CRTs and gas-discharge tubes have certain drawbacks. They require considerable electrical power, are sensitive to vibrations and other stresses and cannot readily be miniaturized. These shortcomings are all the more significant in military and space applications. Aboard a rocket ship, for instance, every part must be as compact as possible and also be capable of surviving the shock of sudden acceleration and deceleration. To fill this need, the Pentagon and NASA began to look for other types of electronic display systems...