Mounting IN-18 tubes

[Paul Andrews]

Hi,

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to mount IN-18 tubes? It looks like they are intended to be socketed and I see some sockets/pins on ebay. I would like to underlight them too, if that makes a difference.

By the way, does anyone have CAD files for the physical pin layout? e.g DXF files, and/or KiCAD footprints?

Thanks - Paul

[Jeff Walton]

I would consider the pin sockets as opposed to the rigid pin cups that some kits used.  While I like the pin “cups” that mount rigidly in the PCB, there is some thinking that they do stress the pin seals on the IN-18’s.  

 

This is an example of how PV Electronics and some others do their kits.  They use the separate pins in an acrylic holder.  The socket pins are friction fit into the acrylic and stand above the acrylic and reduce the stress. 

 

This photo is of the ZM568 socket but works the same as the IN-18 as an example.  The acrylic is nice for base lighting.  This arrangement is gentle on the pins compared to pushing the tube pins into cups on the PCB.

 

 

 

Sorry that I did not have a specific photo of the IN-18 but this was handy.

 

Jeff

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[Nicholas Stock]

Agree with Jeff here, Pete's solution to this is a pretty good one. Other kits (including some of PV Electronics older ones) use the Harwin sockets (H3161-01) and I haven't had a pin failure because of these that I can tell. I have had a hole in a PCB not be big enough for the glass nipple at the base of the IN18 tube and you can guess what happened there....

Nick

On Mon, Feb 6, 2017 at 8:09 PM, Jeff Walton <jwalt...@gmail.com> wrote:

I would consider the pin sockets as opposed to the rigid pin cups that some kits used.  While I like the pin “cups” that mount rigidly in the PCB, there is some thinking that they do stress the pin seals on the IN-18’s.  

 

This is an example of how PV Electronics and some others do their kits.  They use the separate pins in an acrylic holder.  The socket pins are friction fit into the acrylic and stand above the acrylic and reduce the stress. 

 

This photo is of the ZM568 socket but works the same as the IN-18 as an example.  The acrylic is nice for base lighting.  This arrangement is gentle on the pins compared to pushing the tube pins into cups on the PCB.

 

 

Sorry that I did not have a specific photo of the IN-18 but this was handy.

 

Jeff

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neonixie-l@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Paul Andrews
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2017 9:48 PM
To: neonixie-l
Subject: [neonixie-l] Mounting IN-18 tubes

 

Hi,

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[Quixotic Nixotic]

Just to remind people that the diagram on Dieter's website http://www.tube-tester.com/sites/nixie/data/in18.htm for the IN-18 pinout is wrong. I would not know how many people have fallen foul of this, but I did. The tube needs rotating about 4.15º degrees clockwise. The IN-18 sockets Dieter sells would also seem to replicate this error.

See diagram attached:

John S

[threeneurons]

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to mount IN-18 tubes?

I was worried about that, too, when I made my latest clock

The socket scheme for the IN-18s is covered at my Improvised Socket page.

There are holes in the base, below those tubes, that match the tube pin arrangement, including nipple. But they are drilled well over sized to allow the sleeved socket pins pass thru, with no friction. The pins float, and there is just the slightest amount of friction against the base. A tube will, however, pull out, with only a few ounces of force. This does mean, that you have wire a large wiring harness.

 

[gregebert]

I use socket pins soldered into the PCB. Yes, there's also a hole in the PCB for the nib.

The socket pins are low-insertion force, so it's very easy to remove the tube if necessary

0. Carefully bend any obviously misaligned pns. Be careful because the pins are very soft. Ignore the surface corrosion.

1.  Individually number each tube, and assign it to a specific PCB location

2. Insert socket pins onto the tube

3. Solder tube onto PCB. The socket pins are formed to the tube and that will minimize stress as long as the pins are not bent later on.

4. Remove the tube and carefully set aside.

After you're done, carefully insert the first tube, power-on, test, etc. Then insert remaining tubes

Lastly, a 3D printed collar is a nice final touch. It enhances the appearance, makes it slightly easier to insert tubes, and protects the socket pins from bending.

[Paul Andrews]

Are there specific socket pins that I can try and source?

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[Nicholas Stock]

Harwin sockets (H3161-01)

or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/100pcs-Nixie-VFD-Tube-Socket-Pins-1mm-Gold-Plated-IN-12-IN-18-IN-2-IN-8-ZM1040-/282331889813?hash=item41bc4ac095:g:0dwAAOSwUuFWw1Fe

On Tue, Feb 7, 2017 at 7:21 AM, Paul Andrews <judg...@gmail.com> wrote:

Are there specific socket pins that I can try and source?

On Feb 7, 2017, at 10:08 AM, gregebert <greg...@hotmail.com> wrote:

I use socket pins soldered into the PCB. Yes, there's also a hole in the PCB for the nib.

The socket pins are low-insertion force, so it's very easy to remove the tube if necessary

0. Carefully bend any obviously misaligned pns. Be careful because the pins are very soft. Ignore the surface corrosion.

1.  Individually number each tube, and assign it to a specific PCB location

2. Insert socket pins onto the tube

3. Solder tube onto PCB. The socket pins are formed to the tube and that will minimize stress as long as the pins are not bent later on.

4. Remove the tube and carefully set aside.

After you're done, carefully insert the first tube, power-on, test, etc. Then insert remaining tubes

Lastly, a 3D printed collar is a nice final touch. It enhances the appearance, makes it slightly easier to insert tubes, and protects the socket pins from bending.

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[Paul Andrews]

Thanks. I ordered some pins.

Can anyone tell me the thickness of the acrylic disks that PV electronics use? I am about to order some acrylic pieces for something else so it would be good to get a few disk prototypes made.

[Roddy Scott]

They are approximately 2mm thick. Laser cut, film covered, you need to push out the waste from the pin receptacles on them before inserting the pins. 

I have the Spectrum 1040 kit variation for Z568M tubes. Pete has a few different tube mounts for the Spectrum kit depending on which tube you are using.

Contact Pete and he should be able to supply the Plexiglass base parts for the IN-18 tubes.

If you wanted to make remote 'sockets' from them you could solder wires to the pins before mounting them and make a small dam around the plexiglass with tape and flood it with a little 2 part epoxy keeping the socket part of the pins clear of the epoxy. Then you would just need to put heat shrink on the connections.

[Roddy Scott]

I just remembered I have a set of IN-18 Plexiglass parts somewhere, they are yours if I can find them.

[Roddy Scott]

Apologies - 3mm thick - I went to my workshop and measured my clock ones and found the IN-18 set too!

[Quixotic Nixotic]

I note that Elecrow have a good deal on short run, small size, acrylic laser cutting.

Perhaps for nixie socket bases the 8mm or 10mm sheet would be appropriate? You can have 5  x 100m x 100mm sheets cut in 8mm for just $5.80 plus shipping. Or in 10mm for $7.73. Lots of colo(u)r choices too. That may well yield nine to a sheet - 45 sockets.

https://www.elecrow.com/services/laser-cutting-service/5pcs-acrylic-laser-cutting-service.html

Cheap enough to throw at the cat and make the baby laugh, I'd have thought,

John S

[Paul Andrews]

Does anyone have Eagle or Kicad footprint files that have this fix, or how easy is it to rotate a footprint in either Eagle or KiCAD?

[Terry S]

Super easy in Eagle. Put your cursor over the part origin, right click, click on properties. Enter the desired angle in the angle field. In this case, -4.15

Terry

[Paul Andrews]

A picture of one of my IN-18s plugged into the first PCB I have ever designed and had made (KiCAD and OSH park). It is a breadboard adaptor! It is being driven from an arduino using a K155ID1. Someone (I don't remember who) pointed out that you can use a K155ID1 to drive LEDs as a good way to test things out first. No sign of the infamous blue dot on any of the digits. I'm very happy, though I don't plan on using the K155ID1s in the final clock, I will use one of the supertex chips - I have some HV5522s coming, so that is the next step!

Many thanks to everyone on this group - lots of useful input and advice, though I have a long way to go yet!

[Gene Segal]

Looks WAY overdriven!!! Don't expect it to last too long at that current...

Paul Andrews

March 16, 2017 at 6:28 PM

A picture of one of my IN-18s plugged into the first PCB I have ever designed and had made (KiCAD and OSH park). It is a breadboard adaptor! It is being driven from an arduino using a K155ID1. Someone (I don't remember who) pointed out that you can use a K155ID1 to drive LEDs as a good way to test things out first. No sign of the infamous blue dot on any of the digits. I'm very happy, though I don't plan on using the K155ID1s in the final clock, I will use one of the supertex chips - I have some HV5522s coming, so that is the next step!

Many thanks to everyone on this group - lots of useful input and advice, though I have a long way to go yet!

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Paul Andrews

February 6, 2017 at 7:48 PM

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[Paul Andrews]

Current measured at 6mA.

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[Paul Andrews]

I uploaded a version of the russian-nixies.lbr (Eagle footprint library) here that has a corrected footprint. I added a footprint with pads for the female D-SUB pins that many folk seem to use as sockets. I'll add KiCAD files when I figure out how best to get them from the Eagle files!

[judg...@gmail.com]

I used a conversion tool that generates KiCAD legacy format library files and uploaded them too.

 

From: Paul Andrews
Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2017 7:00 PM
To: neonixie-l

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