New to arduino and nixie projects, looking for advice

[Codi Wiersma]

Hello! As the subject says, new to both arduino and nixie tube projects.  I'm looking to make a Hall Effect based speedometer for my motorcycle, and I'm hoping to get some advice.  Looking for a 3 tube set up for speed, and maybe a 5 or 6 tube set up for an odometer, and was curious if I have enough connections on an Elegoo Uno to run that many tubes?  If not, could I run programs on two different Unos using inputs from the same sensor?  I'm unsure on the first question, but I'm fairly certain there wouldn't be an issue with the second.  Thanks!

[David Forbes]

I built a Nixie tube instrument cluster with speedometer etc. for my Corvair last summer. I used many 74HC595 shift registers to send all the tube cathode data out via SPI. Then I used TBD62083 octal high voltage driver arrays to run the tubes. 

I'll send you the design files if you're interested.

On Fri, Apr 1, 2022, 10:43 AM Codi Wiersma <caw...@vt.edu> wrote:

Hello! As the subject says, new to both arduino and nixie tube projects.  I'm looking to make a Hall Effect based speedometer for my motorcycle, and I'm hoping to get some advice.  Looking for a 3 tube set up for speed, and maybe a 5 or 6 tube set up for an odometer, and was curious if I have enough connections on an Elegoo Uno to run that many tubes?  If not, could I run programs on two different Unos using inputs from the same sensor?  I'm unsure on the first question, but I'm fairly certain there wouldn't be an issue with the second.  Thanks!

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[Bill van Dijk]

Hi Codi

 

As a long time biker and Nixie guy, I would like to give you some advice. The severe vibrations of a motorcycle WILL destroy any nixie in very short order. As great as the project sounds now, you will be disappointed with that.

 

Sorry,

 

Bill v

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[Nicholas Stock]

You could use numitrons instead, they're a lot more vibration resistant, but not the same charm as a nixie ......

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[Codi Wiersma]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I have an in tank speedo that I was going to recreate the case, and add some extra supports, with tpu from my 3d printer. That, combined with a minimally vibrating bike (Yamaha stratoliner), do you think I'll still have issues?

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[Mark Moulding]

I agree fairly strongly with Pramancin - I think Numitrons would be the way to go.  They are exceedingly rugged (originally used in fighter planes, among many other applications), long-lived (10,000+ hours at maximum brightness, converging to infinity at reduced drive voltages), and are very easy to drive.  I've built both clocks and dashboard instruments with nothing more than the Numitrons (or the Russian clones - IV-9 and IV-16,), a string of 74HC595s as the output port expander, direct-driving the tubes, and whatever processor I was using at the time (some were AT89C4051s, some were AVRs - Arduinos, but on my own circuit board).

You might be giving up the charm of fully-formed digits, but in exchange, in addition to the points above, the Numitrons are brighter (easily sunlight-readable), can be filtered to any color, and you can produce a surprisingly workable alpha-numeric character set using the seven segments.  There is no high-voltage generator or circuitry to worry about either - just the 5-volt logic supply.  I used a bunch on a Burning Man art car, and that's where I suffered the only failure I've ever had, when an errant beer can hit the tube full on.  It still worked for a little while even with the envelope broken (this was at night, so I had the brightness way down).

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Mark Moulding

[Michail Wilson]

I agree with, well, almost everything.

 

I build several items using Numitrons (specifically) IV-9 (of which I have a hoard of them), but I don’t use 595’s to drive them, but I don’t remember specifically why I chose a diff driver.  Well, you’re supposed to use them.

 

Instead, I use TCL5916

TLC5916 data sheet, product information and support | TI.com

It’s specifically an LED sink driver.  Single resistor sets current draw on the LEDs / Numitron connected.

 

I guess it’s just a preference.

 

Michail Wilson

206-920-6312

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[liam bartosiewicz]

Maybe take the numitron idea even further and use minitrons? You can find them pretty easily in old avionics equipment, and they’d probably last longer in that type of environment anyway.

On Apr 2, 2022, at 2:02 PM, Michail Wilson <M...@michail.com> wrote:



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[Mark Moulding]

The driver that @M1 mentions is certainly a nice way to treat the tubes - it avoids the inrush surge when a segment is first switched on.  For some projects I use a little board that comprises the tube and a small processor (an AT89C2051); with that setup, I PWM the segments that are off to just below the level of visibility so that they are pre-warmed to avoid that shock, but the LED driver chip is easier (more expensive than the '595s, but still cheap enough not to matter).

I have clocks that have been running for a decade using the '595s, and have had exactly zero failures (no seconds digits, though), using PWM on the Output Enable for brightness control.  Perhaps I should expand my horizons and try some of these drivers; I might look at the TLC5923 - it's the bigger brother at 16 channels instead of 8.

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Mark Moulding

[Frank Bemelman]

Vibration would be my first concern too, even if you mount them in foam rubber or something. Not to mention visibility in broad daylight, which could be a bummer too.

But to show off your steam punk bike at some gathering, well.... that would be nice ;-)

Virusvrij. www.avast.com

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Vriendelijke groeten,

Frank Bemelman

Frank Techniek

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