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Registered Member #3637
Joined: Fri Jan 21 2011, 11:07PM
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 1068
Hey all,
I've recently tried making a nixie tube clock, and I've ran into some, er, issues. I'm using IN-12B and IN-12A nixies for the project.
I'm using a cell phone charger which provides 6 volts to the logic... Using half wave rectified mains, I measured the nixie getting roughly 160 vDC, through 55k ohms of resistance, which means around 2.8 mA.
However, the nixie fails to light up fully...and I can't figure out why. I'm using 10k ohm resistors to the driving transistors (MPSA42's) , and I've tested the logic to make sure it's all working properly (counting correctly)
If someone could provide some clues as to why the nixie tube isn't working right, please provide them!
Do I need to change the logic supply to 5 volts period? Or, change the base resistors of the transistors?
Registered Member #2288
Joined: Wed Aug 12 2009, 10:42PM
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 179
Although I don't know Russian, I see the numbers 170V and 200V in the datasheet. I'm guessing absolute min and absolute max. Perhaps it needs a bit more voltage to really glow well. Also, do you have any filtering capacitors on the rectified mains powering the tubes? I'm not sure how nixie's behave on rectified but unfiltered mains.
Also, it's possible the tubes are out of their service life. Nixie tubes do eventually go bad.
Registered Member #3637
Joined: Fri Jan 21 2011, 11:07PM
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 1068
I figured out the issue;
Turns out the logic supply was being noisy as hell, and thus the 1 hz oscillator wasn't oscillating...
Changed it out for a good ol' iron core transformer, and a 5 v regulator, now that works properly.
However, now a new issue as come to show; the tube is being pulsed at a 2 hz interval...something isn't counting correctly. I've got to go back over it again, and verify the connections are right. IF they are, I'll add some decoupling capacitors once I get new solder.
Registered Member #96
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4061
Nixies with gas can be fixed a la "Electronics World" by putting on a heat spreader ie tinfoil, and oven cooking for 24 hours at 250C. Carefully ramping temperature up and down at start and end of cooking also will ensure tube doesen't get up to air quickly. Tried this with a gassy VFD and it worked fine.
Registered Member #3637
Joined: Fri Jan 21 2011, 11:07PM
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 1068
Well, it just needed capacitors. I managed to find a LITTLE bit of solder lying around and put some filter/decoupling caps for the logic supply...No more blinky, it's counting now! :)
I'll probably add a supercap to the board so it keeps time in case power goes out. I've still gotta finish adding the rest of the driving transistors and nixies.
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Nixie Tube Clock troubles
