Dial box
Encyclopedia
A dial box is a computer peripheral for direct 3D manipulation
e.g. to interactively input the rotation and torsion angles of a model displayed on a computer screen. Dial boxes were common input tools in the first years of interactive 3D graphics and they were available for Silicon Graphics
(SGI) or Sun Microsystems
and sold with their workstation
s. Currently they have been replaced by standard computer mouse interaction techniques.
Standard dial box has 8 dials mounted on a plate. The plate is set upright with the help of a stand and usually located next to the computer screen for convenient access. The connection to a computer is made via the serial port (RS-232
).
One of the fields of application for dial boxes was molecular graphics
.
DLS80-1022 (SGI part number 9980992) was made by Danaher controls
, has 8 large dials and a single DE-9
connector which contains both the power and data pins. The connection to the computer serial port the dial box power supply is made with a special DE-9 – DE-9, DIN-5
splitter cable. Essentially the same dial box was also sold as the Sun Microsystems
DLS80-1012, part number 370-1223-01.
The Japanese made SGI SN-921 (type number 9780804) has somewhat smaller dials. It has a separate 5 V power supply connector in addition to the DE-9 serial connector, but it also needs a serial cable with a custom pinout
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Comp/comp.sys.sgi.hardware/2006-03/msg00053.html.
Direct manipulation interface
In computer science, direct manipulation is a human-computer interaction style which involves continuous representation of objects of interest, and rapid, reversible, incremental actions and feedback. The intention is to allow a user to directly manipulate objects presented to them, using actions...
e.g. to interactively input the rotation and torsion angles of a model displayed on a computer screen. Dial boxes were common input tools in the first years of interactive 3D graphics and they were available for Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
(SGI) or Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
and sold with their workstation
Workstation
A workstation is a high-end microcomputer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems...
s. Currently they have been replaced by standard computer mouse interaction techniques.
Standard dial box has 8 dials mounted on a plate. The plate is set upright with the help of a stand and usually located next to the computer screen for convenient access. The connection to a computer is made via the serial port (RS-232
RS-232
In telecommunications, RS-232 is the traditional name for a series of standards for serial binary single-ended data and control signals connecting between a DTE and a DCE . It is commonly used in computer serial ports...
).
One of the fields of application for dial boxes was molecular graphics
Molecular graphics
Molecular graphics is the discipline and philosophy of studying molecules and their properties through graphical representation. IUPAC limits the definition to representations on a "graphical display device"...
.
Dial box models
At least two different models of dial boxes were sold with the SGI brand.DLS80-1022 (SGI part number 9980992) was made by Danaher controls
Danaher Corporation
The Danaher Corporation , is a large global company headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States. Its products are concentrated in the fields of design, manufacture, and marketing of industrial and consumer products....
, has 8 large dials and a single DE-9
D-subminiature
The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smaller connectors used on computer systems....
connector which contains both the power and data pins. The connection to the computer serial port the dial box power supply is made with a special DE-9 – DE-9, DIN-5
DIN connector
A DIN connector is a connector that was originally standardized by the , the German national standards organization. There are DIN standards for a large number of different connectors, therefore the term "DIN connector" alone does not unambiguously identify any particular type of connector unless...
splitter cable. Essentially the same dial box was also sold as the Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
DLS80-1012, part number 370-1223-01.
The Japanese made SGI SN-921 (type number 9780804) has somewhat smaller dials. It has a separate 5 V power supply connector in addition to the DE-9 serial connector, but it also needs a serial cable with a custom pinout
Pinout
In electronics, a pinout is a cross-reference between the contacts, or pins, of an electrical connector or electronic component, and their functions.- Purpose :...
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Comp/comp.sys.sgi.hardware/2006-03/msg00053.html.