Seven-segment display character representations
The topic of seven-segment display character representations revolves around the various shapes of numerical digits, letters, and punctuation devisable on seven-segment displays. Such representation of characters is not standardized by any relevant entity (e.g. ISO, IEEE or IEC). Unicode provides encoding codepoint for segmented digits in Unicode 13.0 in Symbols for Legacy Computing block.
Digit
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| U+1FBF0 | U+1FBF1 | U+1FBF2 | U+1FBF3 | U+1FBF4 | U+1FBF5 | U+1FBF6 | U+1FBF7 | U+1FBF8 | U+1FBF9 |
Two basic conventions are in common use for some Arabic numerals: display segment A is optional for digit 6 (/
),[1][2][3][4] segment F for 7 (/
), and segment D for 9 (/
).[1][2][3][4] Although EF (
) could also be used to represent digit 1, this seems to be rarely done if ever. CDEG (
) is occasionally encountered on older calculators to represent 0.
In Unicode 13.0, 10 codepoints had been given for segmented digits 0–9 in the Symbols for Legacy Computing block:
| Symbols for Legacy Computing[1][2] Official Unicode Consortium code chart (PDF) | ||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | |
| U+1FBFx | 🯰 | 🯱 | 🯲 | 🯳 | 🯴 | 🯵 | 🯶 | 🯷 | 🯸 | 🯹 | ||||||
| Notes | ||||||||||||||||
Examples
The following phrases come from a portable media player's seven-segment display. They give a good illustration of an application where a seven-segment display may be sufficient for displaying letters, since the relevant messages are neither critical nor in any significant risk of being misunderstood, much due to the limited number and rigid domain specificity of the messages. As such, there is no direct need for a more expressive display, in this case, although even a slightly wider repertoire of messages would require at least a 14-segment display or a dot matrix one.
| On | 
|
Off | 
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open |  
|
Close |  
|
||
| Play |  
|
Pause | 
|
||
| Stop | 
|
Error | 
|
See also
References
- ^ a b Nührmann, Dieter (1981). Written at Achim, Bremen, Germany. Werkbuch Elektronik (in German) (3 ed.). Munich, Germany: Franzis-Verlag GmbH. p. 695. ISBN 3-7723-6543-4.
- ^ a b BCD-to-Seven-Segment Decoders/Drivers: SN54246/SN54247/SN54LS247, SN54LS248 SN74246/SN74247/SN74LS247/SN74LS248 (PDF), Texas Instruments, March 1988 [March 1974], SDLS083, archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-29, retrieved 2017-03-30,
They can be used interchangeable in present or future designs to offer designers a choice between two indicator fonts. The '46A, '47A, 'LS47, and 'LS48 compose the 6 and the 9 without tails and the '246, '247, 'LS247, and 'LS248 compose the 6 and the 0 with tails. Composition of all other characters, including display patterns for BCD inputs above nine, is identical....Display patterns for BCD input counts above 9 are unique symbols to authenticate input conditions.
- ^ a b Beuth, Klaus; Beuth, Annette (1990). Digitaltechnik (in German). Vol. 4 (7 ed.). Würzburg, Germany: Vogel Buchverlag. pp. 301–303. ISBN 3-8023-0584-1.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b Datenblatt FLH551-7448, FLH555-8448, 74248 (in German). Siemens.
- ^ Diehl, H. P.; De Mulder, H. D. (April 1981). "junior cookbook: a few healthy recipes to keep your computer in shape" (PDF). elektor (UK) – up-to-date electronics for lab and leisure. Vol. 1981, no. 72. pp. 4-28 – 4-31 [4-30 Figure 4]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
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