Neon bulb logic elements link? - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

25 May 2005

...

Subject: Re: Neon bulb logic elements link?
   From: Scott Stevens <chenmel at earthlink.net>
   Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 18:54:11 -0500
     To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at
classiccmp.org>

On Tue, 24 May 2005 22:30:34 +0100 (BST)
Pete Turnbull <pete at dunnington.u-net.com> wrote:

  On May 24 2005, 17:11, James Fogg wrote:

  I seem to recall that neon's behave as
diodes. I might be wrong.  
 No, neons happily pass AC.  You must be thinking of something else.

Neons act like 'zener diodes' in a sense, perhaps that is where he got
the notion.  Neon lamps fire at a constant voltage and can be used as
relatively stable voltage references, similar to a zener diode.  But
other than 'voltage reference' use they are completely unlike diodes. 
Yes, they are bilateral.  There is ssilicon device to mimic the neon
called SBS (silicon bilateral switch) commonly used to drive Triacs.

Allison