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Electronics news

Beautiful calculator with IV-12 VFD lamps

Oscar has created a stunning calculator using Soviet IV-12 VFD lamps that give it a vintage look.

VFD technology has become popular in recent years due to the distinctive bright blue glow associated with the 80s and 90s era. The lamps work similarly to seven-segment LED indicators, but with an extra lead for turning on and two leads for heating the filament.

Oscar used IV-12s in his calculator, multiplexing them and reducing the number of microcontroller pins. The body of the calculator is made of wood with a walnut veneer surface. The calculator has a keyboard with mechanical switches and is made using an Arduino Nano board based on an ATmega328 microcontroller. The result is a beautifully functional calculator.