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The LED is 50 years old this year! — Parallax Forums

The LED is 50 years old this year!

Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
edited 2012-10-12 13:42 in General Discussion
Every bodies favourite electronic component (well apart from vacuum tubes and microprocessors of course), the Light Emitting Diode, is fifty years old this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19886534

Time to get some party lights:)

Edit: Oops, put 59 in the title instead of 50.

Comments

  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2012-10-11 09:46
    Sadly, unlike candles, they can't be relit after being blown out! :0)
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,261
    edited 2012-10-11 09:56
    mindrobots wrote: »
    Sadly, unlike candles, they can't be relit after being blown out! :0)

    Achtung! Not so fast, Mein Herr! http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/94ce/
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2012-10-11 10:14
    erco wrote: »
    Achtung! Not so fast, Mein Herr! http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/94ce/

    Great product! Excellent product description too.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-10-11 11:25
    I miss paper soda straws, fly paper, and kerosene lanterns. It would be nice to have a bamboo fishing rod and a solid oak captian's chair.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2012-10-11 11:59
    Heater. wrote: »
    Every bodies favourite electronic component (well apart from vacuum tubes and microprocessors of course), the Light Emitting Diode, is fifty years old this year.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19886534

    Time to get some party lights:)





    Edit: Oops, put 59 in the title instead of 50.

    What's this. No filaments?!?

    Will it work with my RTL logic chips?
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2012-10-11 12:24
    Publison,
    What's this. No filaments?!?

    As a kid in school, circa 1970, a friend of mine brought in the first ever red LED that I or anyone had ever seen.

    What, you mean it has no filament? WTF you mean it lights up when you connect it one way around but not the other? Give me a break.

    It was then that I realized the writing was on the wall for filament (heater) powered electronics.

    I have to learn how to make my own tubes before the art is lost to time.
  • Invent-O-DocInvent-O-Doc Posts: 768
    edited 2012-10-11 15:39
    On my desk here, i have a 1973 first edition "LED Circuits & Projects" by Forrest M. Mims, III. It has some really strange facts about LEDs in it. Eventually, I'd like to do a series or articles or a book on 7-seg, matrix and POV LED projects. Way to go LED!
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-10-11 18:03
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,261
    edited 2012-10-11 18:11
    Nicely done, Boss!

    Now where's my LED message pen?
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-10-11 18:22
    Thanks. It seemed apropos.
  • dgatelydgately Posts: 1,639
    edited 2012-10-11 19:30
    Got a long way to beat this single light bulb :-) A hometown celebrity on its own...

    http://www.centennialbulb.org/

    :smile:
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,261
    edited 2012-10-11 19:42
    Wow, the Centennial Bulb outlasted the Chairman of the Centennial Bulb. Call Geraldo, surely there's a "Curse of the Centennial Bulb" documentary in the offing.

    Parallax, start the Centennial Stamp right now. Solar power+UPS backup+Honda generator powers a BS1, continuously blinking an LED and sending serial "Hello World" strings. Keep Guiness on speed dial. And also in the fridge, to celebrate.
  • dgatelydgately Posts: 1,639
    edited 2012-10-11 19:54
    Mmm, Guiness...

    But, you know that's an interesting idea. Who has the longest "constantly running" BS1, BS2 or Prop-based board (in it's own category, of course)?
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-10-12 02:00
    dgately wrote: »
    Mmm, Guiness...

    But, you know that's an interesting idea. Who has the longest "constantly running" BS1, BS2 or Prop-based board (in it's own category, of course)?

    Hard to say, wallwarts might fail. You would need a backup battery. Starting now might be too late.
  • Duane C. JohnsonDuane C. Johnson Posts: 955
    edited 2012-10-12 09:23
    Silicon Carbide LEDs were reported as early as 1927. Far more than 50 years ago.

    Duane J
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,261
    edited 2012-10-12 11:12
    Following Duane's wiki, I just learned that the term "Gamut" (as in runs the gamut) refers specifically to color reproduction, including computer graphics and photography. Thank you Duane C, I did not know that!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamut
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2012-10-12 12:32
    Duane C. Johnson wrote: »
    Silicon Carbide LEDs were reported as early as 11927. Far more than 50 years ago.

    Duane J

    That was very interesting!

    But if it was from 11927, they didn't have clue in the future about silicon. :)

    Jim
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2012-10-12 13:42
    The inventor of the LED was a professor and alumni of the same university I am now attending, and he visited on the anniversary of the LED and held an info session where he talked to students. Sadly, the event only lasted an hour and I had a class I had to go to, so I didn't get to meet him. :(
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