Are you driving segmented tubes (like the 7971) ? If so, I would advise against the HV-series drivers because you will need several different segment-currents.
If it's a traditional 10-cathode nixie, where each numeral uses the same current, the HV devices work great. There's a variety of opinions about using drivers rated below the anode supply voltage. The legacy 74141, which is rated around 45V, has been used for nixies for years and it's suitability relies on the voltage-drop across a nixie. While it's probably OK for bipolar (NPN) output drivers as long as the current is limited, it *definitely* is *not* OK to exceed ratings for MOS devices because it will cause destructive breakdown. I looked at the HV3418 datasheet, and I dont think it will suffice for nixies because the spec value of the *low* output voltage at 5mA load is 25V. If you are running from a +180V supply, the tube will 'see' less than 155V because of the voltage-drop on the anode resistor. The ability to run at +5V on the logic side may sound desirable, but the other specs in my opinion make this device unsuitable. I cant say enough good things about the HV5530. I have a 14-tube clock w/ IN-18's that has been running for over a year now with zero issues. I used a level-shifter to drive the HV5530 inputs to 12V from my FPGA, which has 3.3V I/O's. Instead of an anode resistor to set the segment current, I use a PMOS device to generate constant current. -- 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/debc4728-ac41-4ca6-839a-23426f210cdf%40googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
