Editing Neon lamp (section)

=== Switching element/oscillator ===

Like other [[gas discharge lamp]]s,<ref name="Raju">{{cite book | last1 = Raju | first1 = Gorur Govinda | title = Gaseous Electronics: Theory and Practice | publisher = Taylor and Francis | date = 2006 | pages = 453 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=I7Qi5vb2nB4C&q=negative+resistance&pg=PA453 | isbn = 978-0849337635 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140708020551/http://books.google.com/books?id=I7Qi5vb2nB4C&pg=PA453&dq=#v=onepage&q=negative%20resistance&f=true | archive-date = 2014-07-08 }}</ref> the neon lamp has [[negative resistance]]; its voltage falls with increasing current after the lamp reaches its breakdown voltage.<ref name="GE">{{cite book | last1 = Daugherty | first1 = C. L. | last2 = Tuttle | first2 = J.W. | title = G.E. Glow Lamp Manual, 2nd Ed. | publisher = General Electric | year = 1965 | location = Cleveland, Ohio | pages = 2 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JhgoAQAAMAAJ | display-authors = etal | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180114235506/https://books.google.com/books?id=JhgoAQAAMAAJ | archive-date = 2018-01-14 }}</ref><ref name="Bauman">{{cite book | last = Bauman | first = Edward | title = Applications of Neon Lamps and Discharge Tubes | publisher = Carleton Press | year = 1966 | location = USA | pages = 18 | url = https://www.scribd.com/doc/7086241/Applications-of-Neon-Lamps-and-Discharge-Tubes-Incomplete | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140416182155/http://www.scribd.com/doc/7086241/Applications-of-Neon-Lamps-and-Discharge-Tubes-Incomplete | archive-date = 2014-04-16 }}</ref><ref name="Dance">{{cite book | last = Dance | first = J. B. | title = Cold Cathode Tubes | publisher = Iliffe | date = 1968 | location = London | pages = 7 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8gAjAAAAMAAJ&q=%22negative+resistance | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140708015603/http://books.google.com/books?id=8gAjAAAAMAAJ&q=%22negative+resistance | archive-date = 2014-07-08 }}</ref> Therefore, the lamp has [[hysteresis]]; its turn-off (extinction) voltage is lower than its turn-on (breakdown) voltage.<ref name="Gottlieb">{{cite book | last = Gottlieb | first = Irving M. | title = Practical Oscillator Handbook | publisher = Elsevier | date = 1997 | pages = 69–70 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=e_oZ69GAuxAC&q=%22negative+resistance&pg=PA69 | isbn = 978-0080539386 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140708015607/http://books.google.com/books?id=e_oZ69GAuxAC&pg=PA69&dq=%22negative+resistance | archive-date = 2014-07-08 }}</ref> This allows it to be used as an active switching element. Neon lamps were used to make [[relaxation oscillator]] circuits, using this mechanism, sometimes referred to as the [[Pearson–Anson effect]]<ref name="Bauman" /><ref name="Gottlieb" /><ref name="GE2">{{Cite book |last=Department |first=General Electric Company Miniature Lamp |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JhgoAQAAMAAJ |title=General Electric Glow Lamp Manual |date=1966 |publisher=The Company |language=en}}</ref> for low frequency applications such as flashing warning lights, [[stroboscope]]s<ref name="Burton">{{cite journal | last = Burton | first = Walter E. | title = Magic with neon glow lamps | journal = Popular Science | volume = 152 | issue = 2 | pages = 194–196 | publisher = Popular Science Publishing Co. | location = New York | date = February 1948 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RigDAAAAMBAJ&q=neon+blinker+stroboscope&pg=PA194 | issn = 0161-7370 | access-date = April 14, 2014 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140704190814/http://books.google.com/books?id=RigDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA194&dq=neon+blinker+stroboscope | archive-date = July 4, 2014 }}</ref> tone generators in electronic organs,<ref name="Bauman" /> and as time bases and deflection oscillators in early [[cathode ray oscilloscope]]s.<ref name="Wahl">{{Cite web |last=Wahl |first=Horst D. |url=http://www.hep.fsu.edu/~wahl/phy4822/expinfo/crt/neva_crt.pdf |title=Tutorial Oscilloscope |work=Phys4822L Advanced Lab-Experiment 11: Studies of electrons with a CRT |publisher=Prof. Horst D. Wahl, Physics Dept., [[Florida State University]] |year=2005 |access-date=14 April 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924025714/http://www.hep.fsu.edu/~wahl/phy4822/expinfo/crt/neva_crt.pdf |archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref> Neon lamps can also be [[Bistability|bistable]], and were even used to build [[digital logic]] circuits such as [[logic gate]]s, [[flip-flop (electronics)|flip-flop]], [[Binary numeral system|binary]] [[memory|memories]], and [[digital counter]]s.<ref name="GE3">{{Cite book |last=Department |first=General Electric Company Miniature Lamp |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JhgoAQAAMAAJ |title=General Electric Glow Lamp Manual |date=1966 |publisher=The Company |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Koscielny |first=Laurent |date=2020-05-10 |title=Rowabi Lighting |url=https://www.rowabi.com/ |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=ROWABI |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Hendrix">{{cite journal |last=Hendrix |first=C. |date=September 1956 |title=A Study of the Neon Bulb as a Nonlinear Circuit Element |journal=IRE Transactions on Component Parts |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=44–54 |publisher=Inst. of Electrical and Electronic Engineers |doi=10.1109/TCP.1956.1135748 |issn=0096-2422}}</ref><ref name="Miller1">{{cite book |last=Miller |first=William G. |date=1969 |title=Using and Understanding Miniature Neon Lamps |url=http://www.tiffe.de/roehren/neon.pdf |publisher=Howard W. Sams |pages=49–59 |isbn=978-0572006693 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517085459/http://www.tiffe.de/roehren/neon.pdf |archive-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> These applications were sufficiently common that manufacturers made neon lamps specifically for this use, sometimes called "circuit-component" lamps. At least some of these lamps have a glow concentrated into a small spot on the cathode, which made them unsuited to use as indicators. To provide more repeatable lamp characteristics and reduce "dark effect" ( a rise in starting voltage observed in lamps kept in total darkness), some types of lamp such as NE83 (5AH) include a small amount of a radioisotope to provide initial ionization. <ref name="GE" /> A variant of the NE-2 type lamp for circuit applications, the NE-77, have three wire electrodes in the lamp (in a plane) instead of the usual two, the third for use as a control electrode.