Okay, looking to the PCF community for some help here.
I was doing a deep dive into edge spot patterns and was looking at this Paulson edge spot chart to help me understand the abbreviations used on PCF (this is the old chart... I know they no longer offer several of the patterns shown here).
I was able to decipher quite a lot, but some if them don't make sense to me... but I also know you "Paulson-lovers" out there can help me out.
-Clint
-----
Here's what I think I've figured out and what I'm still fuzzy on:
1st character = number of edge spot regions
Ex: 2 = 2 spots
3 = 3 spots
etc.
2nd - 4th character(s) if letter(s), or a name = describe either the shape of the spot, the number of colors in the spot, and/or the grouping of the components of each spot
Ex: V = V-shaped spot
W = kind of a stylized W-shaped spot
HC = Half circle
Moon = a wider V-shape... like the W but without the different-colored center stripe
Quarter Pie = 1/4 of the chip circumference, like a cut piece of pie
Six Pie Flower = 1/6 circumference "wedges" with 6 half circles wrapped around the inlay edge; looks like a flower
D = Double colored spot
T = Triple colored spot
S = all colors of the spot are separated (i.e. there is some space between each color)
A = this one I'm having trouble with ---
-->at first I thought "all colors together/touching", but there are exceptions to this (8A18, 4TSA18)
--> then I thought "alternating" colors with the neighboring spot (8A18, 4TSA18) ---> Answer = alternating (i.e. different) neighboring colors; Note: there is no need to use the "A" designation when you have a "D" spot pattern as that already implies a double colored pattern (ie. 2 different colors), so the "A" would be redundant and is omitted
-->maybe all colors of the spot are aligned (i.e. all colors of each spot are the same length)?
-->HELP!
Any numbers after the first character and/or after the letters = describe the width of each color of the edge spot
--> This is also where I'm thrown off... the numbers don't seem to directly describe the width of the color band as they are inverse-- i.e. the bigger the number, the thinner the color spot (but not always!)
--> Reminds me of how wire gauge or needle gauge works the same inverse way.
Ex: 18 = the thinnest color band --> Answer = 1/8" wide
16 = this one is a bit wonky... a little wider than 18... but is always seems to be noted as 316 --> Answer = 1/6" wide, but usually seen in a group of 3 different colors, (each 1/6" wide) , and Paulson only offered it in a 316 pattern... Note: 316 does NOT stand for a 3/16" wide band... possibly denoted using the digit 3 in front of it, as in TA316 (3 different colored bands, each 1/6" wide) for clarification because it is so visually close to the TA18 (also 3 different colored bands, but each 1/8" wide). They only have a width difference of just over 1 mm per band!
14 = a little wider than 16 --> Answer = 1/4" wide
38 = also doesn't fit the pattern... wider than 14, but thinner than 12... where'd this come from? --> Answer = 3/8" wide
12 = a little wider than 38 --> Answer = 1/2" wide
Are these related to a standard unit of measure? Inversely related to the circumference of the chip? --> see Answers above
-->HELP!
Put these together and you've got your spot description "code"
Ex: 2V = 2 edge spots, each is a V-shape
312 = 3 edge spots, each is width 12
3HC = 3 edge spots, each a half circle
4D18 = 4 edge spots, each is double-colored, each color within each spot is width 18
4TSA18 = 4 edge spots, each is triple-colored, all colors are separated by some space, all colors arealigned (A?), alternating (i.e. no 2 colors the same are next to each other) and each is width 18 1/8" (we call it a "bear claw")
These number-letter-number configurations can be used in combination
Ex: 218214 = 2 edge spots of width 18 and 2 edge spots of width 14 (total of 4 edge spots)
2V2W = 2 V-shaped spots and 2 W-shaped spots (total of 4 spots)
2HC2DS18 = 2 half circle spots and 2 spots of double-color, each color of the spot is separated by space, each color is width 18
-----
Okay you guys and gals... help me out here and tell me what I've got right, what I've got wrong, and what the answer is to the parts I'm lost on!
-Clint
I was doing a deep dive into edge spot patterns and was looking at this Paulson edge spot chart to help me understand the abbreviations used on PCF (this is the old chart... I know they no longer offer several of the patterns shown here).
I was able to decipher quite a lot, but some if them don't make sense to me... but I also know you "Paulson-lovers" out there can help me out.
-Clint
-----
Here's what I think I've figured out and what I'm still fuzzy on:
1st character = number of edge spot regions
Ex: 2 = 2 spots
3 = 3 spots
etc.
2nd - 4th character(s) if letter(s), or a name = describe either the shape of the spot, the number of colors in the spot, and/or the grouping of the components of each spot
Ex: V = V-shaped spot
W = kind of a stylized W-shaped spot
HC = Half circle
Moon = a wider V-shape... like the W but without the different-colored center stripe
Quarter Pie = 1/4 of the chip circumference, like a cut piece of pie
Six Pie Flower = 1/6 circumference "wedges" with 6 half circles wrapped around the inlay edge; looks like a flower
D = Double colored spot
T = Triple colored spot
S = all colors of the spot are separated (i.e. there is some space between each color)
A = this one I'm having trouble with ---
-->
--> then I thought "alternating" colors with the neighboring spot (8A18, 4TSA18) ---> Answer = alternating (i.e. different) neighboring colors; Note: there is no need to use the "A" designation when you have a "D" spot pattern as that already implies a double colored pattern (ie. 2 different colors), so the "A" would be redundant and is omitted
-->
-->
Any numbers after the first character and/or after the letters = describe the width of each color of the edge spot
--> This is also where I'm thrown off... the numbers don't seem to directly describe the width of the color band as they are inverse-- i.e. the bigger the number, the thinner the color spot (but not always!)
--> Reminds me of how wire gauge or needle gauge works the same inverse way.
Ex: 18 = the thinnest color band --> Answer = 1/8" wide
16 = this one is a bit wonky... a little wider than 18... but is always seems to be noted as 316 --> Answer = 1/6" wide, but usually seen in a group of 3 different colors, (each 1/6" wide) , and Paulson only offered it in a 316 pattern... Note: 316 does NOT stand for a 3/16" wide band... possibly denoted using the digit 3 in front of it, as in TA316 (3 different colored bands, each 1/6" wide) for clarification because it is so visually close to the TA18 (also 3 different colored bands, but each 1/8" wide). They only have a width difference of just over 1 mm per band!
14 = a little wider than 16 --> Answer = 1/4" wide
38 = also doesn't fit the pattern... wider than 14, but thinner than 12... where'd this come from? --> Answer = 3/8" wide
12 = a little wider than 38 --> Answer = 1/2" wide
Are these related to a standard unit of measure? Inversely related to the circumference of the chip? --> see Answers above
-->
Put these together and you've got your spot description "code"
Ex: 2V = 2 edge spots, each is a V-shape
312 = 3 edge spots, each is width 12
3HC = 3 edge spots, each a half circle
4D18 = 4 edge spots, each is double-colored, each color within each spot is width 18
4TSA18 = 4 edge spots, each is triple-colored, all colors are separated by some space, all colors are
These number-letter-number configurations can be used in combination
Ex: 218214 = 2 edge spots of width 18 and 2 edge spots of width 14 (total of 4 edge spots)
2V2W = 2 V-shaped spots and 2 W-shaped spots (total of 4 spots)
2HC2DS18 = 2 half circle spots and 2 spots of double-color, each color of the spot is separated by space, each color is width 18
-----
Okay you guys and gals... help me out here and tell me what I've got right, what I've got wrong, and what the answer is to the parts I'm lost on!
-Clint
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