Abstract: A contact responsive integrated switching and display system intended as an improvement to electromechanical devices such as rotary switches. The switching device controls the sequencing of displayed characters, by controlling gating of clock pulses into a counter, with activation of a function (such as selection of a circuit) corresponding to a selected displayed character produced by release of the switching device and discontinuance of the sequencing. The switching device is disclosed as physically directly associated or integrated with the display. The switch/display device can be self-contained or can be integrated in a system such as computer-data processing applications. An application of the device to data programming of a computer system is disclosed, in which a multidigit display is interfaced with a computer for operation in computer display, count advance and computer input modes. For each digit of the display, contact with the face of the display element gates clock pulses into a counter.

Abstract: The output signal pulses of a constant frequency oscillator are counted between successive timing signals, each of which corresponds to a cylinder of an associated internal combustion engine. The total number of pulses counted during each count period is stored and employed to derive an engine speed advance binary code representation of the number of pulse counts corresponding to the predetermined number of degrees ignition spark engine speed advance for the speed at which the engine is operating. Vacuum advance binary code representation of the number of pulse counts corresponding to the predetermined number of degrees ignition spark vacuum advance is also produced and added to the engine speed advance binary code representation.

Abstract: Procedure and apparatus for monitoring the lash and the toe-in of a vehicle steering system by comparing the angular position of the vehicle's steering wheel as the front wheel spindles pass through preselected reference positions during tuning maneuvers. For example, an angular position transducer at one front wheel determines the instant at which that wheel spindle crosses the reference position in one direction and gates the output of an angular position transducer of the steering wheel to a comparator which stores the signal corresponding to the instantaneous angular position of the steering wheel.