One downside of the in4 is a supposed lack of mercury inside, and so a shorter lifespan than some of the other tubes eg in12.
How about a few bargraph Nixies for a graphic equaliser too? :-) On Sat, 4 May 2019, 04:03 Justin Scott, <justin...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thanks. I'm hoping to use the IN-4. I like the circular bulb and they're a > good size for the front panel of a stereo. > > On Friday, May 3, 2019 at 11:05:46 AM UTC-4, Paul Andrews wrote: >> >> You mean PWM it (because they don't latch on)? Yes, this is how you dim >> them. There is some anecdotal evidence to indicate that this does indeed >> lengthen tube life. However, if the tube is doped with mercury, the life is >> in the 100,000s of hours. For undoped tubes it is around 10,000 hours. So >> let us know what tubes you plan to use. The very common (and very robust) >> IN-12 are long-life. Some people find the '5' digit on them annoying... >> >> On Friday, May 3, 2019 at 11:01:39 AM UTC-4, Justin Scott wrote: >>> >>> Right. Or to turn a digit on you could switch the cathode quickly, so >>> there would be lower current on average moving through the tube. I assume >>> this would lengthen tube life, but sounds like it's not necessary. >>> >>> On Friday, May 3, 2019 at 10:33:30 AM UTC-4, Paul Andrews wrote: >>>> >>>> Perhaps I misunderstand, but each digit is a cathode. To turn it on, >>>> pull it ground, to turn it off let it float or push it to around 80V. >>>> >>>> On Friday, May 3, 2019 at 8:10:15 AM UTC-4, Justin Scott wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Thank you! I completely understand now. My design will be >>>>> direct-drive, so I won't need to switch the anode. Will I need to switch >>>>> the cathode though, or can I just leave it on continuously? >>>>> >>>>> On Thursday, May 2, 2019 at 10:43:20 AM UTC-4, gregebert wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Switching the anodes is what multiplexing does, the advantage being >>>>>> that you can share the cathode logic across several tubes. But with >>>>>> savings, there is also a hidden cost: You must run the anode current >>>>>> higher >>>>>> for multiplexed operation versus direct-drive. If the tube is >>>>>> specifically >>>>>> designed to support higher peak-current for multiplexing, then there's >>>>>> minimal risk; I recall some Burroughs tubes state in the datasheet not to >>>>>> use multiplexing. >>>>>> >>>>>> I've done a number of clock designs, all of them direct-drive. Cost >>>>>> is a secondary concern; maximizing the life of the almost- irreplaceable >>>>>> nixie tube is the overriding goal. With direct-drive, you dont need to >>>>>> switch the anode. However, I have some designs that use anode >>>>>> current-regulators which is basically a switch that is not fully-on. >>>>>> >>>>>> Ghosting only occurs with a muliplexed display, so if you are >>>>>> concerned about it, be sure that your design has programmable >>>>>> blanking-time, refresh-rate, and on-time. You will have to experiment to >>>>>> get the best results. >>>>>> >>>>> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "neonixie-l" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/2552f2c0-cca1-4269-b857-ce0826bf62e4%40googlegroups.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/2552f2c0-cca1-4269-b857-ce0826bf62e4%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to neonixie-l@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/CAOQ6x0GnnGR4_kDtsw3MxMNG7%3DR4jSMRjDM-Y%2B35nni9rFG0qg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
