[rescue] Vector Plotters

[Dave McGuire]

On 10/05/2015 03:53 PM, Mouse wrote:
>> While vector displays are indeed capable of continuous positioning,
>> as opposed to discrete positioning, the vast majority of vector
>> displays are driven from digital things, via a D/A converter.  So
>> there are discrete steps in there anyway.
> 
> Well, line endpoints may be quantized, but that's not to say that the
> rest of the line will be.

  No, but in practice, it will be.  Nearly all vector displays work that
way.  Lacking that, the slew rate needs to be controlled, which is hard
to do, so it's generally not done.  That's not to say that it's
impossible, but looking around at the dozen or so vector displays in
this room, none of them actually work that way.

> Another possibility is to use digitally controlled analog electronics
> to drive the display - for example, displaying Lissajous figures where
> the frequencies and phase are digitally controlled but the details of
> the figure are not.

  Sure, there are lots of possibilities.  I don't think it's fair to say
that he'd actually run into any of them, though.

              -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA