Nixie Hat for Raspberry Pi

NIXIE HAT/SHIELD.

The Nixie Hat for Raspberry Pi is a great start with nixie tubes. This project allows you to use any nixie tube and build a simple display with one tube for use in your projects. Easy to use, coding and easy to assemble.

HOW IT WORKS.

The Nixie Shield / Hat is a modular circuit board that piggyback onto your Raspberry Pi to install it with extra functionality. The Shield was designed according to Raspberry Pi HAT specification. The Nixie Shield allows Raspberry Pi board to connect any nixie tube you want to use in your projects. The Hat is compatible with Raspberry Pi: 1B+, 2B, 3B, ZERO, ZERO W.

Show me Datasheet

USE IT.

To use the shield, mount it on top of Raspberry Pi board, then install any nixie socket (with nixie tube) on top of the nixie shield. Power on your Raspberry Pi and start coding. Once the code has been launched, you need connect 12V external power supply and it’s ready.

Show me Schematic

EXCHANGEABLE SOCKETS.

All sockets have the same pin layout which allows easy replacement of the sockets for different nixie tubes without having to any hardware change. Each of the sockets (connected to the device) provides the valid power supply parameters for the compatible nixie tubes (supply voltage and current). There are 21 compatible sockets (all sockets without socket no.16 which is dedicated for nixie tube testers, sockets no. 20, 23, 24).

Show me Sockets

CODING.

Driving nixie tube by Raspberry Pi is very simple. The Nixie Hat use only five Raspberry Pi pins.

import time                 # Import time module
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO     # Import RPi.GPIO module as just GPIO

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BOARD)    # Declare the type of GPIO numbering system
GPIO.setwarnings(False)     # Disable warnings

# Pin definitions / Nixie tube digit address:
EN = 29                     # On/Off Nixie tube
A = 37      
B = 33
C = 31
D = 35

GPIO.setup(EN,GPIO.OUT)     # Set up a channel EN as an output
GPIO.setup(A,GPIO.OUT)      # Set up a channel A as an output
GPIO.setup(B,GPIO.OUT)      # Set up a channel B as an output
GPIO.setup(C,GPIO.OUT)      # Set up a channel C as an output
GPIO.setup(D,GPIO.OUT)      # Set up a channel D as an output

GPIO.output(EN,GPIO.LOW)    # Turn on the Nixie Tube

# set address of the tube cathode '1':

GPIO.output(A,GPIO.HIGH)    #   /|  
GPIO.output(B,GPIO.LOW)     #  / |
GPIO.output(C,GPIO.LOW)     #    |
GPIO.output(D,GPIO.LOW)     #    |
time.sleep(1)

GPIO.output(EN,GPIO.HIGH)   # Turn off the Nixie Tube
time.sleep(1)

GPIO.cleanup()              # Cleanup GPIO on exit

Show me Code