Nixie Socket for B5971 & B8971

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Marcin Saj

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Apr 22, 2019, 7:14:38 PM4/22/19
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I'm looking for tubes B5971 & B8971 (buy or borrow).
I need these tubes to make sockets. Maybe someone here has them?
One tube will be enough. I'll be grateful for any help.

My last socket for B7971:


B7971.jpg



Bill Notfaded

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Apr 22, 2019, 8:36:33 PM4/22/19
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Looks great! I got you email today about the project. I'll be getting the 22 socket plan and also want the two under development. I need both of those sockets. I have both sets of tubes but exactly enough for my clocks. Did you know a single and set of six b-5971 are on eBay right now? I could buy the single one and send to you if you can't find one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NL5971-B5971-B-5971-Alphanumeric-Nixie-Tube-1-EA-NOS-NIB-MOD-SIX-Clock/143218438985

Bill

Marcin Saj

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Apr 23, 2019, 3:45:45 AM4/23/19
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Thanks Bill for letting me know about B5971 (I already bought it)!
At this moment I have 22 sockets but in a few weeks 3 more will be available.

Phil

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Apr 23, 2019, 9:23:05 PM4/23/19
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I have a defective (glass and base intact, but outgassed) B8971 you can have. Will that help?

Phil Zucarelli

Marcin Saj

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Apr 25, 2019, 2:56:40 AM4/25/19
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Thank you Phil,
I will contact you if I could not find working tube.

Michail Wilson

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Apr 25, 2019, 6:05:45 AM4/25/19
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Bill Notfaded

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Apr 25, 2019, 8:56:40 AM4/25/19
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I wish someone would sell that many sets of B-8971! We can dream. I wonder which were made in smaller numbers the 5971 or 8971?

martin martin

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Apr 25, 2019, 9:33:15 AM4/25/19
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I have a box of B-5750s.  They are tiny and clear.  Need any?  Burroughs made in Japan in '68

On Thu, Apr 25, 2019 at 5:56 AM Bill Notfaded <notf...@gmail.com> wrote:
I wish someone would sell that many sets of B-8971!  We can dream.  I wonder which were made in smaller numbers the 5971 or 8971?

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Greg P

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Apr 25, 2019, 2:39:48 PM4/25/19
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My money is the 8971's were made in much smaller numbers.  I've only ever seen them sold by one seller, and he's sold out now.  5971's pop up frequently.

Glad I got mine when I did and they're glowing proudly in my Black Emerald.

Michail Wilson

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Apr 25, 2019, 4:30:48 PM4/25/19
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Bill Notfaded

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Apr 25, 2019, 10:47:20 PM4/25/19
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I concur Greg my emerald is a keeper... I can't wait until Michail and team get our baby 5971's smartsockets going too! I'll make some video of the whole family together. ;^}

I'm working on a bigger 7971 array with Taylor ss and a raspberry pi3 front end so I can sky is limit interface to the array connected to the net.

Bill

Bill Notfaded

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Apr 25, 2019, 10:55:14 PM4/25/19
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Japanese made really nice tubes... I recently acquired some Micronata multimeters that I've been cleaning up nice. They just don't make things like that anymore. I'll ping you direct about the tubes later.

B

Greg P

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Apr 26, 2019, 8:53:10 AM4/26/19
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I too have a stash of 5971's I'd like to put to use.  I'll be curious to see how the Smart Socket project turns out.  How many tubes will be in your 7971 array?

Michail Wilson

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Apr 26, 2019, 11:18:23 AM4/26/19
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For the B5971 tubes…

I ordered enough parts to make 40 units.

Many items made it cheaper to get some number above that.

So, I might be able to get enough to make a few extra.

 

Example… Resistors were cheaper to buy 50 rather than 40

Transistors… 600 instead of 520.   Meaning, ordering 520 actually cost more than buying 600.

 

OSHPark sent 44 sets of boards instead of the 40 I ordered.  Kudos on them.

 

So, I might have a few extra in the end.

 

24 Me

06 Bill

06 Thomas

36 of 40 (plus possibly 4 extra)

 

 

I would also like to put an array together of the B7971.  Guess I need to order more B7971 smart sockets.

 

As for the B5971 socket, I think this thread is for the Marcin Saj [mar...@nixietester.com] Tube Tester.  I ordered one.   Will be nice to have a single tester for most tubes.   You need the tube or the socket?   Guessing you got the tube from the only guy on ebay selling them.  Doubt you need the SK-136 socket itself.  If so, there is only one person selling them.  (Meaning, all others are sockets, but missing the two center pins, and the 1 ebay person that has the correct one is stilling them with another tube that doesn’t even use them and they will not separate or come down on the price).

 

 

Michail

 

From: 'Greg P' via neonixie-l [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com]
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2019 5:53 AM
To: neonixie-l
Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] Re: Nixie Socket for B5971 & B8971

 

I too have a stash of 5971's I'd like to put to use.  I'll be curious to see how the Smart Socket project turns out.  How many tubes will be in your 7971 array?

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Bill Notfaded

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Apr 26, 2019, 6:10:58 PM4/26/19
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I've got 9 completed smartsocket boards built to start out and another dozen without anything on the boards yet.  I'm actually thinking of hooking some up this weekend with the calculator program John Taylor created to test the smartsockets.  Maybe link a few together and send some $B7Mxxxxxxxx and some fonts and effects... I've got all of the pieces I need I think.  I got an old laptop power supply to be my main PS.  It's 12V/5A.  I have a circuit that takes 12V and outputs both 5V and 3.3V, a logic converter circuit to switch the raspberry pi 3.3 logic to 5V for the smartsockets, and 4 of John Taylor's HVPS the vertical smaller ones.  I've heard you can run 3 b-7971 off one of his PS but I may use one per two tubes to be conservative so lighting all the segments and underline won't strain things.

With the pi running the show it'll have ntp and interface to pretty much anything on the net.  I'm thinking to use python on the pi.  Remote control can be from the web or from Android app later after the pi3 is running ok.

Bill

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M1

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May 15, 2019, 4:30:13 PM5/15/19
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SmartSocket.

I've ordered all the parts and assembled a couple of kits; however, I can't get the tube to light up with the yahoo hex file.

Does anyone have a working HEX file for the B5971 smartsocket?

I've confirmed the hardware is good and working.  (Specifically by using the hex for the B7971 and segments light up (obviously not correctly)) and manually applying VDD to the segment pins in the socket without the PIC installed.
I've also double checked that the file I'm programming into the PIC is the same in the yahoo groups files section.

Any help would be appreciated.
 

M1

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May 19, 2019, 1:00:53 PM5/19/19
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Confirmed that the hardware is of sound design; hoewver, the HEX file doesn't work.  The source code compiled produces the same HEX file confirming that there was no corruption in the upload to the file section.

The source had to be changed and now I have a working HEX file now.

Bill Notfaded

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May 19, 2019, 1:03:16 PM5/19/19
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It was never finished before it looks like.  Pretty crazy considering the PCBs?  Doesn't make much sense does it?  I'm glad you figured it out.

Bill

On Sun, May 19, 2019, 10:00 AM M1 <mich...@gmail.com> wrote:
Confirmed that the hardware is of sound design; hoewver, the HEX file doesn't work.  The source code compiled produces the same HEX file confirming that there was no corruption in the upload to the file section.

The source had to be changed and now I have a working HEX file now.

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Jon D.

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May 19, 2019, 1:10:30 PM5/19/19
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M1,

Could you post the source and HEX file for the B-5971 SmartSocket?  I would like to build a couple of these.

Jon

Michail Wilson

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May 19, 2019, 8:06:27 PM5/19/19
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Jon,

 

I put it in my dropbox.

The following is a link to the folder of the original source:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u4benuzenu7bxt6/AACPZRur4FF7vun9npi95Bw0a?dl=0

 

Currently there is only the original code from the yahoo forums (which doesn’t work).

 

I will update it as I finish the code modifications to make it work as intended.

 

To keep a copy of the original code/information, I will post the code and HEX as:

B5971 SmartSocket MOD    (modified)  Both the HEX and Source.   Likely tonight.

 

I will have a few kits available as I ordered extra parts.  I admit, it’s much more fun doing everything yourself than buying a kit.

 

Michail

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Jon D.

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May 19, 2019, 8:17:36 PM5/19/19
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Michael,

Outstanding !!  I'll look for your postings.  Thanks for that.

Jon

Michail Wilson

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May 19, 2019, 11:12:26 PM5/19/19
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Ok, posted several very short video tests on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/user/michailrw

 

Link to all files is:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u4benuzenu7bxt6/AACPZRur4FF7vun9npi95Bw0a

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jon D.
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2019 10:10 AM
To: neonixie-l
Subject: [neonixie-l] Re: Nixie Socket for B5971 & B8971

 

M1,

 

Could you post the source and HEX file for the B-5971 SmartSocket?  I would like to build a couple of these.

 

Jon

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Bill Notfaded

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May 20, 2019, 10:34:03 AM5/20/19
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Michail-

Keep at least one extra kit for me so I have a spareif you've got it.  After all of these trials and tribulations we've been through and since there's little chance we'll ever find these tubes again I may want a spare set of boards.  If you can send it out with the pickit3 that would be cool.  Look like it's going to be a soldering week.  Props for digging into the source this weekend and redoing the code for the characters.  It's partially my fault for leading us down this path since I found the PCB gerbers and suggested this in the first place.

Thanks,

B


On Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 8:12:26 PM UTC-7, M1 wrote:

Ok, posted several very short video tests on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/user/michailrw

 

Link to all files is:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u4benuzenu7bxt6/AACPZRur4FF7vun9npi95Bw0a

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jon D.
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2019 10:10 AM
To: neonixie-l
Subject: [neonixie-l] Re: Nixie Socket for B5971 & B8971

 

M1,

 

Could you post the source and HEX file for the B-5971 SmartSocket?  I would like to build a couple of these.

 

Jon

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Jon D.

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May 20, 2019, 10:40:17 AM5/20/19
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Michael,

Thanks for posting the updated PIC files.

Jon D.

Michail Wilson

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May 20, 2019, 11:48:17 AM5/20/19
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No problem.

 

There is more work to be done with it, and I will complete it; however, the current code in dropbox works.  You’re safe to use it; however, I am going to add better fonts/features preloaded in the HEX file for UDCs.

 

So, if you’re not in a hurry for an end solution, then I would wait until it’s done.  I just wanted to get working code available for anyone that already has these tubes and/or kits to get them working now.

 

If there is any font/feature you have a suggestion for, please let me know.

 

Also, B7971 code has a font called BITS.  Does anyone know what this is supposed to be / look like?

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jon D.
Sent: Monday, May 20, 2019 7:40 AM
To: neonixie-l
Subject: [neonixie-l] Re: Nixie Socket for B5971 & B8971

 

Michael,

 

Thanks for posting the updated PIC files.

 

Jon D.

 

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Michail Wilson

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May 20, 2019, 11:58:27 AM5/20/19
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Bill,

 

Save you one kit or one set.

 

Let me know if you have questions as I have basically assembled 20 kits so far.  Which means I might have the best way to assemble to make it easy.  J

 

PS.  It’s completely your fault for me running down the rabbit whole as you made it clear the tubes were being sold on ebay which started it for me.  J

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Bill Notfaded


Sent: Monday, May 20, 2019 7:34 AM
To: neonixie-l

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Bill Notfaded

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May 20, 2019, 12:04:32 PM5/20/19
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Michail-

Not sure if it will help but does the Taylor font editor work with the B-5971 tubes?  I also wonder if the lucasmall font editor on github might help us?
https://github.com/lucsmall/Burroughs-B-7971-Nixie-Tube-Character-Designer

It seems as though we could adapt the editor since it's open source to make it a B-5971 font editor without too much trouble... the beauty of open source software.

B

Michail Wilson

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May 20, 2019, 1:23:06 PM5/20/19
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Bill,

 

I am familiar with the site.

Unfortunately, it’s specific to B7971 and the output is for 2 bytes together instead of the smartsocket code which has the two bytes separate.

 

It can be converted, but would probably take more time doing that than simply changing the font manually (at least for the defaults in source which is now done).

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Bill Notfaded


Sent: Monday, May 20, 2019 9:05 AM
To: neonixie-l

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Michail Wilson

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May 21, 2019, 5:36:11 PM5/21/19
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I am working on adapting the site now.

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

 

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Bill Notfaded


Sent: Monday, May 20, 2019 9:05 AM
To: neonixie-l

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