Hi everyone! I've got some questions for the group, but before I ask them, I do want to assure everyone that I've spend DAYS reading all the threads, and trolling the net looking at probably 100 plans, printing, and studying them. I have six IN-14's and I have arrived at what I want my clock to be in my head. I do NOT want to buy any kits/ boards. I have seen so many schematics, I think I'm prepared to bring all the good ideas I've seen from them into a single design of my own.
* PIC/AVR based for tube-life (anti-poison, and auto-off) * PCB must be all through-hole, single sided because I layout and etch my own using Eagle. * 555-based HVPSW (because its small, simple, adjustable, popular, and well documented) * 74141 for simplicity (they *are* cheap and easy to come by) * Opto-isolated (TLP627-4) anode drive (because its easy and simple; I love me some DIPs) Questions: * Is there any reason to choose a 2x3 multiplex (mux) over 1x6? (Is a 1x6 prone to flicker or dim?) * Although I'm an accomplisher programmer, I have very little assembler and C++ background. Is PICbasic "good enough" for a clock? I've looked at some sample code and it seems very understandable. Is it fast enough? Does the PICbasic complier create bloated code requiring a bigger uC? * Is a uC with an xtal "accurate enough" or do you really need a Dallas RTC? * In a 1x6 mux, what is the known optimal voltage and current for IN-14's? (Also, for a 2x3 mux?) * And during the final build, could you measure V&C while muxing, or do you need to measure in direct drive tuning to the muxed values? * The previous 2 questions could simply be reduced to, "whats a good anode V, and value for the anode resistor for IN-14's?" :) * What are some recommended on/off/delay times for a 1x6 and 2x3 mux that both look good and maximize brightness without stressing the IN-14's? * Is it electrically correct just to throw a diode in series with each anode to help minimize ghosting by reducing capacitance in the tube- board? * Whats a good duration & frequency to exercise a cathode for anti- poisoning assuming normal operating V&C during the routine? I was assuming a 0-though-9 cycle at the top of each hour where each cathode is on 1 second. Is this reasonable? * In anti-poisoning, is it better to do a 1-second continuous burn, or .1 seconds ten times to increase strikes? Does it even matter? Thanks for your responses. I've got the parts for my HVPSW on the way so I can start breadboarding and light my first cathode. :) -Ryan -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
