Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
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- adafruit_support_bill
- Posts: 88136
- Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am
Re: Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
So your bias voltage is good too. Post photos of the front & back of the main board - as well as the solder-side of the tube board.
- tforster
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 11:33 am
Re: Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
Here's a series of shots that should capture enough detail. Let me know if you need a better one? And thanks for being so quick on the answers!
- adafruit_support_bill
- Posts: 88136
- Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am
Re: Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
OK. Solder looks good. Your bias voltage is good. No obvious build issues. But 2 bad displays would be highly unlikely.
Are you getting the beep at power up? I assume that the processor must be running, or you would not have a boost voltage.
If you look at the display in a dark room (give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness), do you see any faint glow from either the digits or the tube heater filament?
Are you getting the beep at power up? I assume that the processor must be running, or you would not have a boost voltage.
If you look at the display in a dark room (give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness), do you see any faint glow from either the digits or the tube heater filament?
- jarchie
- Posts: 615
- Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2012 2:16 pm
Re: Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
When you ordered a new tube, did you get a new side PCB or just a new tube? By my eye, the side PCB is chipped, taking out the VBIAS trace.
- adafruit_support_bill
- Posts: 88136
- Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am
Re: Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
Good eyes! That does look like a chip. If you (carefully) run a jumper from the header side of R3 to the pin to the left of the chip, does the tube light up?By my eye, the side PCB is chipped, taking out the VBIAS trace.
- tforster
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 11:33 am
Re: Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
@jarchie I'd say great eye! @adafruit_support_bill I just ran the jumper as suggested and I see gorgeous green glowing numbers. To answer your question I ordered both the tube and the side PCB. I suppose I could solder a permanent jumper from R3 to that terminal? Which would look a little odd, or order another tube/PCB combination.adafruit_support_bill wrote:Good eyes! That does look like a chip. If you (carefully) run a jumper from the header side of R3 to the pin to the left of the chip, does the tube light up?By my eye, the side PCB is chipped, taking out the VBIAS trace.
FYI, the original tube still doesn't work. It differs from the (now understood) working tube in that it is a 19 wire. The working one is a 22 wire. Not sure if that makes any difference to debugging a possible cause with the original?
If I order a replacement so I don't need to solder an unsightly jumper from R3 what is the probability that I will receive a 19 wire tube and not a 22?
And again, thanks both of you for helping me out. It's greatly appreciated.
Troy
- tforster
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 11:33 am
Re: Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
Careful inspection of the original tube shows a really tiny chip in almost exactly the same location. Tried the jumper trick and that tube lights up too.
I'm pretty sure both PCBs were chip free when I started. I'm suspecting that when I cleaned up the leads after soldering that the chips were introduced. Interesting they are both in the same place. Could it be that the PCB is a little weaker near the top?
I'm pretty sure both PCBs were chip free when I started. I'm suspecting that when I cleaned up the leads after soldering that the chips were introduced. Interesting they are both in the same place. Could it be that the PCB is a little weaker near the top?
- adafruit_support_bill
- Posts: 88136
- Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:11 am
Re: Ice Tube Clock (Tube has no display)
The 19 wire tubes are equivalent. They just omit the 3 unconnected leads.
I will look into the chipping issue. I've never seen that before, but It seems strange that you would have two boards chip in the same place. In the mean-time, if you follow the trace from the other side of the chip, you will see that it leads to the top-right pin on the header. You could a a slightly less unsightly jumper to there to get your tube lighting.
Or - since it appears that you may have sufficient soldering skills, you could scrape the solder mask from the top of that trace and run a very short fine-gauge jumper to bridge the chip. Some 30AWG wire-wrap wire is ideal for this type of repair.
I will look into the chipping issue. I've never seen that before, but It seems strange that you would have two boards chip in the same place. In the mean-time, if you follow the trace from the other side of the chip, you will see that it leads to the top-right pin on the header. You could a a slightly less unsightly jumper to there to get your tube lighting.
Or - since it appears that you may have sufficient soldering skills, you could scrape the solder mask from the top of that trace and run a very short fine-gauge jumper to bridge the chip. Some 30AWG wire-wrap wire is ideal for this type of repair.
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.