That's really neat. I have had a project like this planned for several years but have not got round to doing anything much about it.
Are you willing to share your schematic and code? I really want to build a 20 channel device to be both a spectrum analyser and to perform various graphic display routines. I had planned to use a Teensy running with their FFT library - what are you using? - Richard On Thursday, 21 November 2024 at 03:28:43 UTC Zachary wrote: > [image: IMG_20240820_221627_635.jpg][image: IMG_20240820_221627_609.jpg] > > So it's these little 21x24mm module I designed based on the common driver > circuit for IN-13s I could find online (it should also work with IN-9s but > I don't have any) with an I2C DAC. It fits on a breadboard and multiple can > be chained in series with U-shaped headers > https://www.mouser.ca/ProductDetail/640-BG305-06A0500LD. The space > between tubes on chained modules is about 12mm. > > The transistor I'm using is a MJD340, the op amp is a MCP6001 and the DAC > is a MCP4706. Not all designs I found online included a potentiometer but > I'm glad I put one since the tubes I got on eBay varied wildly in glow > length at the same resistance. > > Initially I 3D printed some little clamp holders to hold the tube in place > above the board (the notch is to help align the clamp as I planned on > gluing it directly on the PCB instead of using screws) but I couldn't get > multiple tubes in a row to stand perfectly straight so I scrapped that. > After a lot of trial and error I discovered that by far the best way to get > a straight row is simply to use good old tie-wraps (which you can see in > the video bellow). > > This is only my second PCB (and the first one that actually works) so > there are some problems I would fix if I were to do a revision. I would put > the GND pad next to the 150V one instead of the SDA (which I didn't do > because I couldn't find a way to route it neatly). I would also maybe make > it smaller as I don't need the empty space on the top (which was to glue > the clamp holder). But by far the biggest drawback with this is that the > DAC I'm using has a fixed address. On the datasheet it says that there is 8 > available, and it wouldn't be a problem if that was actually the case (as I > am making an 8 tube spectrum analyzer), but in reality all electronic > suppliers I checked only stock the first four ones :( > > https://youtube.com/shorts/-yOVEOMO8Xs > > It is not that big of a problem however, I will just use 2 buses with a > software I2C Arduino Library. Below is a 3D render of the enclosure I plan > on maybe building for it if I have the time and if its actually makeable > (not sure yet). > > [image: Untitled_2024-Jun-30_01-06-50AM-000_CustomizedView4724087096.png] > On Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 7:11:52 PM UTC-5 Mac Doktor wrote: > >> >> On Nov 20, 2024, at 6:14 PM, Zachary <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> I am using a NCH6300HV to power my chainable modules. >> >> >> Tell us more about these modules... 8D >> >> >> Terry Bowman, KA4HJH >> "The Mac Doctor" >> >> https://www.astarcloseup.com >> >> “...the book said something astonishing, a very big thought. The stars, >> it said, were suns but very far away. The Sun was a star but close >> up.”—Carl Sagan, "The Backbone Of Night", *Cosmos*, 1980 >> >> >> -- 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 view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/0742a954-c41e-4ba8-bbd2-57fffcc900ebn%40googlegroups.com.
