Touch system adds third coordinate to display screen
Simple components, simple electronics, and simple acoustical elements have been combined to produce an inexpensive touch-sensitive entry device that can be applied directly to a CRT or flat display screen, or to a glass overlay.
By Robert Adler, Peter J. Desmares, and James J. Fitzgibbon. Zenith Electroncis Corp., Glenview. IL.

Three-electrode plasma panel cuts power requirements
By isolating the glow sustaining high-current pulses from the write-address vertical cover electrodes of an ac plasma display, engineers have produced a gas discharge panel that uses smaller-area and lower-power integrated circuit chips; and eliminates the need to retain low cover-electrode resistances.
By G.W. Dick. AT&T Bell Labs, Reading. PA.

Laser-optics measure sub-picosecond speeds
An entirely optical sampling system, relying only on an electric field coupling between the electro-optic sampling medium and the circuit under evaluation has been developed that operates in the picosecond range and temporal regime to measure new ultrafast electronic and optoelectronic devices and circuits.
By JA. Valdmanis, High-Speed Materials and Phenomena Research Dept., AT&T Bell Laboratories. Murray Hill, NJ.

Display technologies:
A retrospective on systems and applications.
By Joseph A. MacDonald, Editorial Director