Nixie tube

The Nixie tube emerged from the convergence of gas discharge physics, cold cathode technology, and neon sign aesthetics. Inside the glass envelope, ten wire cathodes—each bent into the shape of a digit 0-9—are stacked with ceramic spacers. A mesh anode wraps around the stack. When 170 volts DC is applied between the anode and a selected cathode, a low-pressure neon-argon mixture ionizes into plasma, creating that distinctive orange glow.

The first stable, mass-producible design came from Haydu Brothers Laboratories, founded by Hungarian immigrants George and Zoltan Haydu in 1936. In 1954, Burroughs Corporation acquired Haydu specifically for their vacuum tube expertise. Saul Kuchinsky led development at Burroughs' Paoli, Pennsylvania research center. Legend has it his lab notebook labeled the prototype "Numerical Indicator Experiment No. 1" (NIX1), which he rebranded as "Nixie"—believing successful products needed a "k" or "x" in the name. Burroughs trademarked the name in 1956.

Nixie tubes dominated numeric displays for two decades. They illuminated NASA mission control during moon landings, tracked stock prices on Wall Street, and appeared in early calculators. Global production peaked at 10 million units annually in the 1960s. Each digit was a distinct shape, not a seven-segment approximation—superior readability.

The decline began in 1967 with commercial LEDs. Initially $60 per digit, LED prices collapsed by 1971 to $3.95. LEDs operated on 5 volts instead of 170, consumed milliwatts, were solid-state rugged, and interfaced with emerging integrated circuits. Pocket calculators—impossible with Nixies due to size and power—became trivial with LEDs. LCDs finished what LEDs started. By the 1980s, only Soviet factories continued production.

In the 2020s, Nixie tubes experienced resurrection. Their warm orange glow, visible plasma, and analog feel make them perfect for steampunk aesthetics. The very inefficiency that killed them—high voltage, glass envelopes—now defines their appeal. What killed them technically now defines their cultural value.