Just a fun simple project using the Arduino Beetle and a Z502 Dekatron tube to create a simple spinner out of this classic display tube. The design of the circuit was adapted from the circuit diagram I attached from "Dekatron Drive Basics M. Moorrees". The circuit is close to what is shown except for I changed Q1 and Q2 to optocouplers and the high voltage supply is slightly different.
More information on the Arduino Beetle can be found here: https://www.theengineeringprojects.com/2020/12/introduction-to-arduino-beetle.html
const int buttonRedPin = 4; // the number of the pushbutton pin
const int buttonBluPin = 8; // the number of the pushbutton pin
const int ledGrnPin = 10; // the number of the LED pin
const int ledYelPin = 11; // the number of the LED pin
int guideMS = 50;
const int stepMS = 900;
// variables will change:
int buttonRedState = 0; // variable for reading the pushbutton status
int buttonBluState = 0; // variable for reading the pushbutton status
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
// initialize the LED pin as an output:
pinMode(ledGrnPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledYelPin, OUTPUT);
// initialize the pushbutton pin as an input:
pinMode(buttonRedPin, INPUT);
pinMode(buttonBluPin, INPUT);
}
void loop() {
Serial.print("guideMS ");
Serial.println(guideMS);
buttonRedState = digitalRead(buttonRedPin);
if (buttonRedState == HIGH)
{
guideMS = guideMS + 10;
}
buttonBluState = digitalRead(buttonBluPin);
if (buttonBluState == HIGH)
{
guideMS = guideMS - 10;
}
digitalWrite(ledYelPin, HIGH);
delay(guideMS);
digitalWrite(ledGrnPin, HIGH);
delay(guideMS);
digitalWrite(ledYelPin, LOW);
delay(guideMS);
digitalWrite(ledGrnPin, LOW);
delay(stepMS);
}
