A IN-16/IN-8 based nixie clock with WIFI

FEATURES

• burn out protection (cycle all numbers for 10 seconds every 10minutes)
• in8 or in16 tube usable via adapter pcbs
• for 4 (hours:mins) or 6 tubes (hours:mins:secs)
• easy to expand
• simple schematic using THT parts only
• tube holders with simple mount for easy replacement

[OPTIONAL] FEATURES WIFI EXTENTION

• using esp8266 to add wifi support
• NTP SYNC
• CAPTIVE PORTAL to set wifi settings
• set timezone
• start antiburn-in cycle

PARTS

• 1 control pcb see ./documenation/nixie_clock_controller_gerber.zip

• 4 Nixie Clock Adapter board for IN8 tube ./nixie_clock_in8_gerber.zip or IN16 tube ./documenation/nixie_clock_in16_gerber.zip

• 4 Nixie tubes IN16 or IN8

• 4 nixie tube drivers SN74141

• 1 Arduino Nano

• 1 RTC Module DS1307

• 4 20k resistors 1/2w

• 1 Nixie power supply 180v

• 3 THT push button

• 2 shift registers 75HC595

• 3 5mm led 20ma

• R1 R5 R6 = 10k pull up resistors

• R2 R3 R4 = 330 (for the leds)

• headers male and female

PARTS WIFI ADDON

(you can wire a nodemcu directly to the rx/tx of the arduino, so no need for a pcb)

• wifi addon pcb
• esp8266 12-e
• lm1117 (e.g. LM1117IMP-3.3/NOPB)
• C1;C2; C3 = 470uf
• R2, R3,R5, R6 = 10k
• R1 = 1k
• R4 = 2k
• 2x 3x1 2.54 headers + 2 jumpers

resistors used for voltage divider for the tx(arduino)->rx(esp8266)

PARTS FOR SECOND 6-TUBE VERSION

• seconds addon pcb
• 1 75HC595
• 2 Nixie tubes IN16 or IN8
• 2 nixie tube drivers SN74141
• 2 20k resistors 1/2w

PARTS FOR THE CASE

• 7 wood pieces 10*20cm @ >8mm
• 4 tube cover pipe holder ./documenation/3d_parts/pipe_holder_bottom.stl
• 4 tube cover pipe covers ./documenation/3d_parts/pipe_holder_top.stl
• 2 tube pcb mounting brackets ./documenation/3d_parts/tube_pcb_mounting_bracket.stl
• 2 tube pcb mounting bracket covers./documenation/3d_parts/tube_pcb_mounting_bracket_covers.stl
• 4 PCB spacers for M3
• 4 M3 screws 10mm
• 2 M4 screws 16mm
• woodglue
• 2k glue (mounting 3d parts on glass cover)
• hotglue

TOOLS

• drill 4mm 6mm 20mm(for tubes)
• saw
• soldering iron
• hotgluegun
• step-drill

PCB

Images, gerber and schematic can be found in the ./documenation folder. You also can use a breadboard or a arduino prototyping shield to build the simple schematic.

CASE

DRILLING FOUR TUBE VARIANT

For the top wood plate i have made drill drawing where to drill the 20mm holes for the tubes, if you are using the 10x20cm wood plates. The PDF can be found at ./documenation/nixie_case_drilling_plan.pdf The important thing is that one pair of tubes are 35mm away from each other to match with 3d printed mounting brackets. See the pictures of the build below!

THE CONTROL PCB

NIXIE ADAPTER FOR IN-8 TUBES

You can replace the resistors with wires, except for the R115 Anode-Current-Resistor 20K. The other resitors are for adjust the brightness of each tube segment.

NOTE

The SN74141 will be powered from 5V directly from the 5V rail from the Arduino. This works perfectly fine! Ignore the 9V marking on the PCB.

NIXIE ADAPTER FOR IN-16 TUBES [NOT TESTED]

WIFI PCB ADDON

PLEASE USE THE CORRECT RESISTOR VALUES LISTED IN THE PARTS SECTION This wifi addon pcb sits directly under the Arduino Nano, and is soldered to its header pins. Then this sandwich is plugged into the control pcb. The Arduino-Nano is still required!

NOTE

To program the ESP8266, you have to use a USB2Serial cable. Solder The RX,TX,GND pins from the cable to TX,RX,GND of the ESP8266. Remove the two jumpers EN_UART from the board! To reset the ESP8266 to its flash-mode hold the BOOT-Button and toggle the RESET-Button. After that, click Upload in your Arduino-IDE. Use as sketch the /src/wifi_extention/wifi_extention.ino for the ESP8266

SEONDS ADDON PCB

This pcb add 2 more nixie tube outputs, if you want to have seconds. No software modification needed. it simply adds an other shift register at the end of the chain.

SOFTWARE

To flash the arduino you can use the Arduino IDE to flash the ./src/nixie_driver/nixie_driver.ino Select the Arduino-Nano board and the serial port to upload the program.

SET TIME

After power up the clock you can use the buttons to change the time. Select with the OK-BUTTON to change between minutes or hours and change them with the + / - Buttons.

SERIAL COMMANDS

The clock send out the current time string _t_hours_mins_secs_.

To set the clock using serial you can use the st time command: _st_hours_mins_

**Note: The _ at the end has to be send, with the \n new line charater. **

PICTURES

SIMPLE BOX

PCB TEST 1

PCB TEST 2

TUBE MOUNT 1

TUBE MOUNT 2

WIFI MODULE