10

How can I typeset the following symbol for direct current (i.e. a = symbol where the lower line is dashed)?

Direct current symbol

The image above is an enlarged version, the size I need is like =, \approx, \simeq etc.

student
  • 29,003

3 Answers3

19

If \Beam from marvosym is not satisfying, then you may try this solution.

\documentclass{article}
\newcommand{\textdirectcurrent}{%
  \settowidth{\dimen0}{$=$}%
  \vbox to .85ex {\offinterlineskip
    \hbox to \dimen0{\leaders\hrule\hfill}
    \vskip.35ex
    \hbox to \dimen0{%
      \leaders\hrule\hskip.2\dimen0\hfill
      \leaders\hrule\hskip.2\dimen0\hfill
      \leaders\hrule\hskip.2\dimen0
    }
    \vfill
  }%
}
\newcommand{\mathdirectcurrent}{\mathrel{\textdirectcurrent}}

\begin{document}
a =\textdirectcurrent{} b

$a \mathdirectcurrent b$

$a = b$
\end{document}

enter image description here

A maybe better implementation, that can work also in subscripts and superscripts, is

\newcommand{\mathdirectcurrent}{\mathrel{\mathpalette\mathdirectcurrentinner\relax}}
\newcommand{\mathdirectcurrentinner}[2]{%
  \settowidth{\dimen0}{$#1=$}%
  \vbox to .85ex {\offinterlineskip
    \hbox to \dimen0{\hss\leaders\hrule\hskip.85\dimen0\hss}
    \vskip.35ex
    \hbox to \dimen0{\hss
      \leaders\hrule\hskip.17\dimen0
      \hskip.17\dimen0
      \leaders\hrule\hskip.17\dimen0
      \hskip.17\dimen0
      \leaders\hrule\hskip.17\dimen0
    \hss}
    \vfill
  }%
}
\newcommand{\textdirectcurrent}{\mathdirectcurrentinner{\textstyle}{}}

However, the spacing parameters may need to be adapted to the main font used.

egreg
  • 1,121,712
10

Looking at The Comprehensive LaTeX Symbols list, I've found \Beam symbol from marvosym.

enter image description here

Ignasi
  • 136,588
  • 2
    That looks okay in the small preview, but if you look at it more closely, the top bar is thicker than the lower and it protrudes slightly to the right. – Jake Jan 10 '12 at 09:36
6

Possibly you are looking for unicode U+2393 DIRECT CURRENT SYMBOL FORM TWO see

http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2300.pdf

so the character will be in Unicode fonts such as stix at that position. How to access Unicode characters depends rather on whether you are using a Unicode flavoured TeX variant or not (and others here could no doubt give more up to date advice on that).

David Carlisle
  • 757,742
  • We have a few questions relating to unicode characters, Ulrike's answer at http://tex.stackexchange.com/q/37445/86 looked quite helpful at first glance. (NB This comment prompted by your parenthetical remark and so is for the benefit of others reading your answer!) – Andrew Stacey Jan 10 '12 at 13:17