Another WS2812 Failure: Broken Glass

The WS2812 under the 5U4GB full-wave rectifier tube went into pinball panic mode:

Failed WS2812 - 5U4GB Rectifier
Failed WS2812 – 5U4GB Rectifier

It’s been running more-or-less continuously since late 2016, so call it

Because I’d be crazy to replace it with another likely-to-fail WS2812, I had to remove both of them before installing SK6812 RGBW LEDs and updating the Arduino Nano.

Unfortunately, I did a really good job of bonding the side light to the tube with epoxy:

Failed WS2812 - 5U4GB broken glass
Failed WS2812 – 5U4GB broken glass

The last tube manufacturing step involved flashing the getter onto the tube envelope, so as to remove the last vestige of air. Admitting air oxidizes the getter:

Failed WS2812 - 5U4GB getter oxidation
Failed WS2812 – 5U4GB getter oxidation

It was such a pretty tube, too …

5U4GB Full-wave vacuum rectifier - cyan red phase
5U4GB Full-wave vacuum rectifier – cyan red phase

3 thoughts on “Another WS2812 Failure: Broken Glass

  1. Do you figure that stresses / uneven temperature from the LED epoxied to the glass is the cause?

    1. Nope, this was entirely my fault. I tried to cut the 3D printed housing apart, but the stress from my diagonal cutters cracked the glass.

      Drat & similar remarks!

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