The only downside of the nixie tubes is that they require quite a large amount of voltage to power them, which makes it hard to integrate them in relatively small, low-voltage computer chips. Even if one or more of the other cathodes fail, the remaining cathodes will still continue working. While they’re essentially obsolete, nixie tubes are incredibly reliable, which is why they are making a comeback with the renewed interest in nixie tube clocks and other cool vintage steampunk gadgets and gizmos. This is what makes them the best options for clocks and other instruments that need to be read in darkness, poor lighting, or at a glance. The best part about nixie tubes is that they’re easy-to-read and the numbers are properly rounded, unlike the “compromise” squared-off digits produced by LCDs, VHDs, and LEDs (which can be very confusing in some cases). This concept is known as ‘cold-cathode glow discharge.’ Most of the glow produced from the nixies tube comes as a result of collisions between gas ions, atoms, and electrons, more like in the neon tubes. But in Nixie tubes, the cathode remains cold, and the glow happens a small distance away from the cathode producing it. In incandescent lamps, the coiled filament glows hot white or hot red due to heat. The fuzzy glowing “coating” of light that forms follows the cathode’s shape very precisely, making it appear as if one of the numbers has been illuminated. In some way, nixie tubes are similar to neon lamps. When the power is switched on, the atoms of neon gas are split apart inside the tube to make electrons and ions, which collide, and give off red-colored light. The cathodes are separated from each other by thin ceramic spacers. Each nixies tube has ten cathodes to represent all the numerals from 0 to 9. Unlike in incandescent lamps, the bent metal wires are not filaments. The sealed tube is meant to stop the gases from escaping. The gases are invisible, so you might not see them by just looking. The tube is usually filled with gas at low pressure, mostly neon and a bit of argon or mercury. The nixie tube glass itself contains a wired mesh anode and a number of cathodes which are shaped in the form of numbers or other symbols. If the tubes are wired appropriately, the numbers can tell time, count in sequence, or do a wide range of sophisticated things.īy definition, a nixie tube also referred to as ‘cathode-ray display,’ is an electric concept/device for displaying numerals and other forms of information using glow discharge. You will often see them with digits made out of bent wire and arranged in a stack, one in front of the other, inside a sealed glass tube. As mentioned, nixie tubes display numbers a bit different from the likes of LEDs and VFDs. But if you’re new to steampunk gadget and some of the technology behind them, you must be wondering, what are nixie tubes and how do they work?īefore delving deeper into nixie tube clocks, I thought we should take a moment to understand a little more about the nixie tube concept. The tubes have recently made a comeback in retro-style clocks, and vintage tech and steampunk enthusiasts are all diving in. However, back in the 1950s, before these fancy technologies were perfected, electronic boxes used glowing lamps called nixie tubes. Modern numeric displays are based on LEDs, LCDs, and VFDs. If you want to create sophisticated colors of light, such as a calculator or a clock, you need a technology that is up to the task. Nixie tubes work a little differently to show digits from 0 to 9 they don’t use any bars to light up and compose the numbers. There are 7 bars that light in a different way to create any digit from 0 to 9. But if they’re red-orange, they’re likely made of light emitting diodes (LEDs).īoth the two concepts work by lighting several bars that compose the numbers. If the numbers are blue in color, it means they are made of vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs). You deal with them every day, microwaves, ovens, alarm clocks, calculators and any electronic device that has a screen with a timer on it. Chances are you have dozens of devices in your home that display numbers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |