Vacuum Fluorescent Displays

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I recently had a clear out and chucked away some old PCBs from set-top boxes which had vacuum fluorescent displays (VFD) in them. Like many others, I like the retro look of these displays, so removed them before the boards were scrapped. 

Having to take a couple of days in bed this week due to (finally) catching Covid-19, I watched a few YouTube videos on how these things work. It turns out it isn't that difficult to make them light up if you have 3 volts and 12 volts available. So a few initial experiments today, but a long way from anything useful for now.

Bulldog clips can be really useful for all sports of things! 

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