Welcome to an addictive hobby! I prefer linear power supplies for their simplicity, and to get the required ionization voltage (usually 150v to 180v,depending upon the tube) you will either need a voltage-doubler or some kind of step-up/boost with a transformer. I've used several topologies, with and without transformers, and all work nicely.
You mentioned current-regulation, and I think that's very important for nixies. Once ionized, a nixie is a current-controlled device; more-current -> more brightness. But too much current will reduce the lifetime, and too little can cause poisoning problems (from what I've read). I've used current-regulation on the driver (cathode) side, as well as the anode. It's a very simple circuit (see an earlier post from me); it all depends upon which driver you use. My new favorite is the HV5530 , with an anode current-regulator. You can also use a resistor, but I recommend using a higher anode voltage to reduce the effect of varying I-V characteristics of tubes. For example, my first nixie clocks use a voltage-doubler to get 340V, and a 82K series resistor to get 2.2mA for 5092 tubes. The drawback to higher anode-voltage is more wasted energy, which means higher operating cost and heat to get rid of. Lastly, dont worry about the extra cost of a current-regulator. Nixies are getting more expensive and harder to find, and will be the most valuable item in your device. If you are going to design your clock, I recommend starting with expendable tubes such as IN-1. Then, when you have a design you are satisfied with, adjust the current to the desired tube. And be sure to check out dekatrons and magic-eye tubes.... -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/c556751b-a788-4766-87ef-031182b2dd90%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
