🛠️ Nixie Tube Tester

This simple tester lets you check Nixie tubes (e.g. IN-12, IN-8, IN-18) or use them for photography.

It uses an Arduino Nano and an Easy Nixie board for quick setup and testing.

Supplies

Easy Nixie Board - Ready-to-use Nixie driver PCB
Arduino Nano - Microcontroller board
Nixie Tube Socket Pins - 1.0 mm gold-plated brass socket pins, suitable for IN-12 / IN-18 / QS30-1
Nixie Tube - IN-12 or compatible
Short hookup wires - For power connections
Soldering tools - Iron, solder, helping hands, etc.

⚙️ Install the Tube Socket Pins

🧠 Tip:

It’s much easier to align the socket pins if you insert them into the Nixie tube first, then place the whole tube with pins into the Easy Nixie board.

Insert all 13 socket pins into the Nixie tube.

Carefully place the pins into the matching holes on the Easy Nixie board.

Ensure the tube sits straight and level.

Solder each pin securely from the underside of the board.

Once cool, gently remove the tube — the sockets will now be perfectly aligned.

⚙️ Connect the Easy Nixie Board to the Arduino Nano

Align the Easy Nixie board so that digital pins D15–D19 match with the Arduino Nano pins A1–A5 (these are used as digital outputs).

These data pins can be soldered directly together (they align perfectly).

For power (VCC, GND), use short wires to make the connections.

📊 Pinout Diagram

Below is the logical connection diagram between the Arduino Nano and the Easy Nixie Board:

+----------------------+ +--------------------+

| Arduino Nano | | Easy Nixie |

|----------------------| |--------------------|

| D19 (A5) ----------- | -----------> | DATA 1 |

| D18 (A4) ----------- | -----------> | DATA 2 |

| D17 (A3) ----------- | -----------> | DATA 3 |

| D15 (A1) ----------- | -----------> | LATCH |

| 5V ----------------- | -----------> | VCC (5V) |

| GND ---------------- | -----------> | GND |

+----------------------+ +--------------------+

You can solder D15–D19 directly, and use short wires for 5V and GND.

💻 Upload the Arduino Code

Connect the Arduino Nano to your computer via USB Type-C.

Install the EasyNixie library from GitHub:

👉 https://github.com/allexoK/EasyNixie

Open the Arduino IDE and paste in this code:

#include <EEPROM.h>

#include <EasyNixie.h>

#define MODE_ADDRESS 0

typedef enum {

Test,

Photo,

} Mode;

EasyNixie easy_nixie(19, 18, 17, 15);

void setup(void) {

const Mode mode = (Mode)EEPROM.read(MODE_ADDRESS);

EEPROM.write(MODE_ADDRESS, !mode);

if (mode == Test) return;

easy_nixie.SetNixie(8, 0, true, true);

easy_nixie.Latch();

while (true);

}

#define MAX_DIGIT 10

uint8_t digit = 0;

void loop(void) {

if (++digit == MAX_DIGIT) digit = 0;

easy_nixie.SetNixie(digit, 0, true, true);

easy_nixie.Latch();

delay(500);

}

Select the correct Board: “Arduino Nano” and Processor: “ATmega328P (Old Bootloader)” if needed.

Upload the sketch.

🔌 Test the Tube

Plug your Nixie tube into the socket.

Power the tester using the USB connection or an external 5 V source.

The device alternates between two modes each time you press the reset button:

Test Mode - Cycles through digits 0–9 every 0.5 s — confirms all segments work
Photo Mode - Displays the digit “8” continuously — for even lighting in photos

⚠️ Safety & Notes

Nixie tubes require high voltage (≈170 V), so never touch the anode connections when powered.

Handle the glass tube carefully — pins are delicate.

Always disconnect power before changing tubes.