IN-36 Stereo Bargraph Panaplex driving help

[Jonathan F.]

Hello

I've bought a IN-36 Bargraph Panaplex.

Here is a image of the datasheet
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/tgkAAOSwgQ9V6~iS/s-l1600.jpg

It works with 170V and a 10k resistor, if i connect a cathode, the cursor appears randomly anywhere on the scale... seems like it needs some code...

I'm new to panaplex...

Anybody having a idea how to drive this?

Thanks

[gregebert]

If you understand how a dekatron works, you can apply that knowledge on how to cycle the cathode signals. You'll notice on the datasheet that all cathodes, except one, are grouped together. The one isolated cathode (pin 9) will serve as a reset to get the device into a known state.

To advance one tick, you would pull pin 8 low (while pin 9 is still low), wait perhaps a few hundred usec, then release pin 9. This sequence  'transfers' the ionized cloud to the next cathode. To advance another tick, pull pin 3 low, while keeping pin 8 low, wait, then release pin 8. To move the glowing cathode, you basically sequence the cathodes so that there is always at least 1 cathode energized at all times, and energize an adjacent cathode to 'move' the glow.

To get a solid glowing bar, rather than an individual pixel, you would need to cycle the process rapidly.

[Dekatron42]

Did you ask the seller? Usually the sellers know where to get more information.

These displays are similar to the Burroughs self scan bar graph displays, here's an application note: http://www.brianroth.com/library/apnote-bg101c.pdfhttp://www.ka-electronics.com/images/pdf/Burroughs_BG12205-2_Plasma_Bar_Graph.pdf

There are a few projects for these displays on the Internet but I don't have a list right now, but here is one: http://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/Leserbriefe/Glimmroehre-Stereo-Anzeige/Bargraph.htm

/Martin

[Nick]

https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/neonixie-l/Y4P9lU5YyN0

[Jonathan F.]

Thanks! This is now running by an arduino.

But... I detected that if the scale is about 1/4 lighted , its much more brighter then when its fully lighted.
Of course, this is caused of the duty-cycle.
Anyway how to fix this?

[David Forbes]

Jonathan,

This variable brightness vs lit area issue is true of any display in
which you can only light one segment at a time. My scope clock has the
same issue.

The cure is to run the refresh routine a fixed number of times per
second. Use millis() to make a time period.

My friend Tom Jennings teaches art school students how to use Arduinos,
so he's building up a very nice curriculum. Here's his page about making
timing loops with millis():

http://sensitiveresearch.com/code/fastCode/index.html

--
David Forbes, Tucson AZ

[gregebert]

Although you can increase brightness with more current, I would be very careful about doing that because increased current can degrade the life of the tube. Unless you have a lot of spares (yeah, we all wish that...), play it safe and dont exceed the rated current.

One of my back-burner projects is a bargraph made of NE-2 bulbs (and they come in several colors besides orange). Unfortunately I have more ideas than time.