Nixie inspired display

Description

This was a weekend project to build a numerical display that looks a bit like a nixie tube.
The main motivation for this project was to kill boredom, I also wanted to try and make a cheaper substitute for a real nixie tube since I always liked how they looked. The project is built using parts from my random scrap bin.

Components

1 × Red 7 segment display The one i used had the part number: SA52-11EWA

2 × Pieces of stripboard

1 × Red LED

9 × 220 ohm resistor

11 × Male headers

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The build.
FilleK • 03/01/2015 at 20:14 • 5 comments

The idea is to build a case for a red/orange 7 segment display that will make it look like an old school nixie tube.
I first started by cutting a piece of stripboard to hold the display.
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Discussions

Proton Gamer wrote 08/28/2015 at 19:23

That very Good !!! Awesome work !!! :D

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Tod Daniels wrote 03/04/2015 at 18:53

Wow! This has my wheels turning. Very nice work.

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FilleK wrote 03/04/2015 at 18:59

Thanks :D

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John Boyd wrote 03/04/2015 at 06:50

Awesome project man! What is the cage made of? Could you update the build materials section with what you used?

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FilleK wrote 03/04/2015 at 17:17

Thanks :) It is made made of plastic card and the net from a tea strainer. I painted them in copper and brass color.

and i have added the list of materials :D

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esot.eric wrote 03/02/2015 at 01:34

Yeahp, this is great. I love how the glow bounces off the housing. That may well be my previously-not-pinpointed draw to nixies. Nice build.

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FilleK wrote 03/02/2015 at 17:23

thanks :) yea it gives a kind of nice cosy light, I am trying to get some pwm modulation to create a slight pulsing of the light to increase the effect.

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Christoph wrote 03/01/2015 at 22:44

I like it as well! Add some brass around it for a steam punk touch?

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FilleK wrote 03/02/2015 at 17:21

thanks, :) i have some ideas for a new one that is more steam punk, with brass tubes instead of wires.

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davedarko wrote 03/01/2015 at 22:25

Sorry for spamming, but I'm in love with this :) I'm seriously considering cloning this!

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FilleK wrote 03/01/2015 at 22:32

haha, thank you :) that sounds like a great idea :) i would love to see images of the result.

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davedarko wrote 03/02/2015 at 13:37

While searching for inspiration for a case, I found another tube - a VFD called IV-26 - that I have cloned by using a chemical test tube and 6 charlie-plexed LEDs. I'll write a page about that :)

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FilleK wrote 03/02/2015 at 17:28

Cool, i have looked at some test tubes for this display as well but i have yet to figure out a good way of cutting them to size without getting glass dust everywhere...

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davedarko wrote 03/02/2015 at 18:02

well my solution would still be a jam jar, since I have collected some of different shapes and sizes :)

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FilleK wrote 03/02/2015 at 21:10

ill have to eat a bit more jam then :)

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esot.eric wrote 03/03/2015 at 08:45

whoa, cool!

Allegedly, as a kid, my dad lived next-door to the dude who invented VFD's. Never seen any like that before.

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starwriter wrote 03/09/2015 at 04:21

This would be awesome once you get it posted davedarko.

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davedarko wrote 03/10/2015 at 22:18

finally done, sorry it took some time! http://hackaday.io/page/793-0x06-nftf-fake-nixie-tubes-more-a-gallery

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Nixie inspired display

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