This is phase two of my Nixie counter project, where I have combined the 4-bit digital control circuit to the high voltage side by way of an array of MPSA42 transistors. I will publish the technical data for the project after I get the whole thing condensed down to one board in phase 3. Enjoy!
More about this project is here: http://www.frantone.com/designwritings/design_writings.html #nixie
More about this project is here: http://www.frantone.com/designwritings/design_writings.html #nixie
I thought about cascade 2 SN7496N and drive a nixie tube with 10 BF422 transistors…
Hi there, I just made a 4 digit counter with 74LS90 integrated circuits, and I'm working toward controlling Nixie tubes with it (possibly for a scalar connected to my geiger counter). I hadn't considered that I might want a small potential between each number, but I bet it also will extend the lifetime by preventing cathode poisoning. Did you account for the order of the numbers in the tube? And would you happen to have a schematic available for inspiration?
Wow… This might be the first or second video of yours that I watched! Looks like I also watched the previous Nixie tube video. I ended up building a nixie tube clock two years after this video was released. I restored a Sony Sobax ICC-600W calculator, using parts from a very much destroyed ICC-500. I had a lot of leftover nixies, so I made a clock from them!
Just looking back over the early days and reminiscing.
I'm not sure what practical use this has, but it looks pretty fun.
Great project.
Those 7971 are really nice but hard to get. Do you plan some project with them? They must make great looking displays.
The 74141 chip has internal 55v zener diodes that provide both the pre-bias and the switching current, but they were an afterthought for upgrading installed equipment, and not around during the nixie era. For hardcore period accuracy the driver would be entirely electromechanical. And I may just do that in the future.
hehe they're still pretty old though
True, true…. but the Russian chip is sort of a cheat – not really period correct for these 1960's era US made JAN/National Nixies. 🙂
hi, i just made something like this too… you might want to use a 74141 chip from bcd to nixie, it would take a lot less space than all the transistors if you wanted to fit it all on a small board
did you work for ehx? 🙂
Lights…. Good! Count up and down….. Good! High Voltage…. Baaaad!! Do not attempt to eat when active!
So, could you repeat that in small English words so i can understand it? 😉
Yesindeedalydoo!
Oh, its just my doohickythingamabob – and it does stuff! When I get it made into a finished piece it will make more sense, I just wanted to show it in this stage so that it is easier to explain what is going on inside. The best way to learn electronics is get one of the vintage 150-in-one experimenter kits (thank you Ebay) or some modern equivalent.