Kickstarter: Nixie Tube Driver - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: 8163jb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2017, 07:20:13 pm
content: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doayee/nixie-tube-driver- Link!This probably isn't the first Nixie Tube Driver to pass through the EEVBlog forum, and probably won't be the last, but it's a project I (and a couple mates) have been working on for a while (on and off) and we decided to kickstart it a couple weeks ago. It's received far more interest than we expected so far, and hopefully some of you will be interested too!The hardware itself is not particularly complex, it's simply 2 high voltage open-drain shift registers daisy chained together, with a D-flip-flop and FET for the final bit. And some RGB LEDs behind the whole thing. But I do think the aesthetic of this driver is pretty great. We tried to make the driver focused on the tubes themselves, and keep the electronics minimal and as hidden as possible, allowing for flexibility of mounting in a wide range of scenarios.The Driver has an arduino library (which while 100% functional, is being refined) to allow any arduino users to use it in as easy a way as possible. The library also controls the RGBs and allows you to set up colour fades in the background of a sketch, and smoothly blend between colours.The driver also has facility to use IN15A/B tubes, which can display symbols, and the code is written to be easy to implement for those too (side note: I'm planning on making a rudimentary multi-meter out of mine). This is a feature we haven't seen in other drivers out there.Hope you all like it! Any comments welcome!

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2017, 07:33:50 pm
content: Good job.You could easily add a HV supply board as a stretch goal.

author: 8163jb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2017, 07:51:15 pm
content: We have been considering that, and we've decided to work on it as a product to launch on tindie when we start selling the project there. This is because we want to make sure that the supply is as safe as it can be. But we are working on one currently!

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2017, 10:14:30 pm
content: The Pile O Poo design works very well.... that's what I transposed on my driver board.

author: 8163jb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2017, 09:01:57 am
content: Thanks! I'll bear that in mind

author: xavier60
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2017, 12:59:44 pm
content: Out of focus shots are unnecessary and annoying.

author: 8163jb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2017, 01:49:33 pm
content: Sorry you think that, we've actually received a lot of positive feedback about our photography of the project! But each to their own. Hopefully there were enough shots that were in focus for you to get a good idea of the product regardless.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2017, 02:12:20 pm
content: Personally I would think about the PCB layout.... I would try and keep the HV away from the low voltage paths as much as possible. Also consider thicker tracks where necessary (and appropriate separation) and a few warnings labels on the silkscreen along HV paths. I would be tempted to keep the HV header seperate from the Low voltage or at least not close enough that they could easily be swapped.But i'm being pedantic, feel free to ignore me.

author: 8163jb
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2017, 02:50:09 pm
content: Thanks for that, we're about to do a final run of test boards so that's really helpful. I'll definitely bear this comment in mind when making my edits.Feel free to be pedantic, it's what makes a product really good at the end of the day! And it's one of the reasons I like forums like this one.