Make-It-Yourself projects
Popular Electronics, may 1976

This issue has an add-on project for the PONGTRONICS (april 1976 issue) allowing to add sound effects and on-screen scoring. This is an interesting project because it explains how on-screen scoring was done without numbers. As a matter of fact, the technology involved in digital on-screen scoring was expensive in 1976 (it either used expensive chips like small ROM memory devices, or required numerous basic logic gates).

Back in 1975/1976, manufacturers of cheap PONG systems used two ways of displaying on-screen scoring.
The most used method consists in displaying two squares (one per player). Each time a point as marked, the player's square would shift horizontally, so as to be placed after the other one (unless scores are equal).
The second method (which is used in this project) is similar, as the two squares are replaced by two lines which increase in width each time a point is marked.

The article also explains how if was possible to add sound effects.

Click the photos to see them in large scale.

Cover	Page 61	Page 62
Page 63	Page 64	Page 65

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