Make your own Retro Nixie Clock with an RTC!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 พ.ค. 2024
- $2 for PCB Prototypes & Free SMT Assembly: jlcpcb.com
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More project information (schematic, pictures,.....) on Instructables: www.instructables.com/id/Make...
Parts list (incomplete, see Instructables for more, affiliate links):
Aliexpress:
4x IN-14 Nixie tube: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dYx...
4x K155ID1 Nixie tube driver: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dZ0...
1x LM7805 5V regulator: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dTT...
1x Arduino Pro Mini: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dWj...
1x DS1307 RTC: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_d6i...
SMD Capacitors (1206 10uF, 100nF): s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dSt...
Male+Female Header: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_d8C...
4x 10kΩ Resistor: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dVr...
1x 170V DC Supply: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_dTN...
1x DC Input Jack: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Bf7...
Websites which were shown in the video:
tubehobby.com/store.php?cat=2
tubehobby.com/show_det.php?de...
tubehobby.com/datasheets/in14...
tubehobby.com/datasheets/k155...
In this project I will show you how to create a retro nixie clock. That means I will show you how you can control nixie tubes with a high voltage DC power supply and then I will combine 4 nixie tubes with an Arduino, a Real Time Clock (RTC) and a custom 3D printed enclosure in order to create the nixie clock. Let's get started!
Thanks to JLCPCB for sponsoring this video
Visit jlcpcb.com to get professional PCBs for low prices
Music:
2011 Lookalike by Bartlebeats
Killing Time, Kevin MacLeod
(incompetech.com) - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
This clock is so cool.
El Psy Kongroo.
affirmative
This is the choice of Steins;Gate.
Kurisuuutinaa
Maaddo Scientistooo !!!
Bwaaaahahahahaha
@GreatScott! In the future a handy trick for dealing with components that have lots of flexible legs is to cut each one slightly shorter than the one next to it so it ends up like a spiral so that way you can insert one leg at a time and not have to deal with trying to get all the legs in at once. This makes working with these sort of components significantly easier.
First thing that comes in mind is Stein's Gate
Was waiting to see on which world we are
El psy Kongroo!
I'm glad I'm not the only person who clicked on this thinking the same thing.
John Titor, are you?
I'm wondering in which world line are we now
This mans knowledge makes me feel sad I wasted my life playing video games, instead of learning things. Awesome video I really like how you highlight stuff lol.
Thanks for your comment. I needed this right now. I actually have learned this a semester ago but I just tried to pass the exam. I don't know shit even though I should. I feel like trash.
@@bemysugardaddy596 what is this even called
@@jaws0.o373 electronics? What do you mean exactly?
@@dimitrijekrstic7567 nevermind i was probably on drugs
@@jaws0.o373 lol
I built the Elektor Nixie Clock and I love it. I especially love watching the seconds ticking so I would have to have 6 digits. The way you have done yours is very nice. I might have a go at building one based on your design. What a great project. Many Thanks.
Actually a video about snubber capacitors would be cool XD
Sooner or later :-)
@@greatscottlab we will wait for it Brother! =)
DiodeGoneWild has entered the chat.
Yes please
@@greatscottlab This is your best video so far - Nixie is so on brand for you.
I finally bought from JLCPCB and I am not disappointed. The boards truly are high quality. I desoldered and resoldered components and all the solder pads remained intact and everything remained functional.
I was at one of the electronic labs in my university last week and saw nixie clocks. Thought they look awesome and that I need to build one myself. What a coincedence Scott has a new video about this topic how awesome is that!
I wanted to say thank you for inspiring me to do this project. I designed my own 6 tube multiplexed clock and it is amazing
Me: finds rare nixie tubes
My cat: *push*
*pop*
Solution, connect 170v to your cat instead.
ffs don't it's a joke!
@@xConundrumx she lights up in nice amber colour but the digits are all fuzzy
Getter are probably not flashed enough
@@xConundrumx "If that thing had 9 lives, she just spent 'em all..." 20 Geek points for the first to reply with the movie. Yes, it IS easy. It's Xmas!
For gods sake, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Make it harder.
In the 1980s, working and building projects like this took a great deal of research. Now, you make it look so easy. Great videeo. Thanks.
OMG I’ve been looking into Nixie tubes for the last two weeks in order to DIY one myself. Unfortunately not a single DIY Nixie video. And here you are! Awesome!
Just when I thought you couldn't get any better you hit it out of the park. Thanks for this. Outstanding as always.
This guy really knows his stuff. The diversity of knowledge displayed in his videos is amazing. This is what electrical engineers should really be able to do. Awesome!
This has to be one of the coolest retro builds that people have tried using modern tech.
I own a clock with IN-12b nixie tubes. They are beautiful. That “5” of russian nixie tubes 😄... it’s really a flipped “2”. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 👍🏻
Recently I've finished nixie clock HH:MM:SS on Z566M tubes, it looks great. Also nice video. Cheers.
Hey Scott!
Nice project! I have already built a nixie clock myself... and all documentations warned me about a “cathode poisoning effect”.
If a nixie tube displays a number for too long, it can have a negative effect on all the other numbers. It can make them a little bit faded over time.
This happens for the tubes displaying the hours!
A solution is to cycle all numbers in the nixie clock every 5 minutes. My clock does this.
Can you please share the resources for your clock? Code or any documentation?
Can you provide all documents regarding your nixie clock?
I have 10 nixie tubes in my drawer and a few different small nixie power supplies to go with them but didn't know how to build a clock from scratch. Now I know how to use them properly I may attempt a clock myself.
Great video! 👍
I like the way you present the video along with your mistakes so we can have experiences about that common mistakes.
Man I am so happy now having a face to the voice I've heard for months xD
This is so cool I could barely hang and that wood filament... great touch, I really want to make my own. Thank you, another masterpiece!
do you know how much filament would be required for this box? just to have an idea.
I built a similar clock a year ago but took a different approach. It uses a Raspberry pi zero w and gets the time from an ntp time server. I also went with 6 digits so I can see the seconds as well. BTW, cutting the tube leads in a spiral length allows you to get the tubes in the board one hole at a time. I like clock projects and even have one that uses 4 inch Burrough nixies that I built in 1973.
I got some old small nixie tubes that somebody didn't want, and I wanted to build a nixie clock for a bit of time, so this video will definitely help alot.
Nixie Tube Financial Director: flip the '2' to make a '5', we'll save $$$
Country where this tubes manufactured is no longer exists from 1991.
@User It was made in the USSR
@@varunsreedharan5347 th-cam.com/video/wxL4ElboiuA/w-d-xo.html
yes, it's a shame, the five is very ugly for ridiculous economic gain.
@@patrickfle4485 But I think it is really cool, it tells the story of how engineering was in USSR.
3:56 impressive. A German guy is using USSR IC
It seems they are already made in Russia.
Я тоже удивился)
@@sphagnumrex9008 ..made in USSR 💪
@@maxb3000 1827 во второй строке маркировки - это дата изготовления: 18й год, 27я неделя.
@@sphagnumrex9008 норм бизнес стратегия, пойти купить фирм магазе интеграла 155 за сущие копейки и втюхать на ебее или амазоне
Awesome!
Recently I ordered my PCB for lab bench power supply to JLCPCB by your introduction and its quality was very good :-)
Been here for years and it is still the best DIY channel on the tubes.
6:55 - immersion gold on through-hole pads can be hellishly frustrating to solder to if you do not make copper around those pads extra wide and make the holes also wider.
+ if you use extra flux, black solder mask requires lots of isopropyl alcohol to clean up.
I have already build 8 of them :D
I have never used arduino, I always use radio transmitted time from Frankfurt.
Vít Cenek do you have more info about this? Sounds awesome!
@@space_0027 Google DCF77 or TDF time signal for more details
Using TDF as a source to adjust time are not excluding Aurdino.
Or using any other source for the time or adjusting time, which is what you do, adjusting time. You still need a time source to adjust. As someone already wrote. 😜
@Lassi Kinnunen It's the way they transmit the time on the atomic clocks used to set standard times for large areas.
I'm sure it's a standardised component.
It's simple antenna and receiver to decode the information in the signal and set the clock's time accurately. All that you have to do is set the time zone.
@@AndersJackson You can also just display the time received, without any digital IC, code, and all other unnecessary complexity you kids are so addicted to.
Amazing! We appreciate the level of effort that must have gone into this project!
I just recently started watching Travelers, where this clock seems to be a central setpiece and I always thought it looks so cool, I want one too.
Nice project! I would recommend you add spinning all digits feature to the program. This will prevent to poisoning of the cathodes. Btw. sorry for my English
your english is good
@@TheAechBomb He speaks English better than I speak any other language.
@@andrewkieran8942 same here
@@TheAechBomb He speaks english very well! So much better than Joe Biden.
What is the cathode poisoning?
I made one of these years ago and I love it....my case is made out of Lego though and got my clock as a kit
Is that weed you are smoking 😂😂?
My uncle built one using discrete components( transistors,diodes,resistors and capacitors). he built it it 30 years ago and it's still working.
I saw them on youtube and wondered how they were made. Thank you for that !
You can purchase both Nixie clocks and Nixie Clock kits on Etsy. No doubt, following this video's instruction is preferable if you have the skills. Not impressed with this base but that should be easily substituted
Really cool project! It‘s sad that nobody produces those tubes anymore. They look really nice and, as you showed, it isn’t that hard to built a clock with them.
Look up Dalibor Farny, his company makes them. They're expensive but they are in production
@@blueberry1c2 Expensive is an understatement. They're not sold separately, but as already assembled clocks and the prices basically work out to $320 - $400 a tube. Compare that to current price of IN-14 tubes of around $11 a tube and the difference is staggering.
But the soviet tubes won't be around forever and they have already gone up in price significantly. For example in 2018 I bought IN-12 tubes for $1.25 a piece but nowadays you'd be lucky to find them at $4 a piece. Eventually the prices of soviet tubes are gonna catch up to the brand new ones and maybe even overtake them. Honestly buying Nixie tubes seems like a good investment - probably better than gold lol.
@@ADracoMillclock is also producing their own (very large) Nixie tubes. They look amazing but at $130 each are very expensive as well.
Sorry for my poor english.
I have build one 6 digits nixie clock a few month ago.
With one PIC18F2420 micro controller, one RTC module, and eight 74HC273 to drive HV transistors for control each numbers of 6 tubes.
I even added a HC-05 bluetooth module for micro controller, that can connect with your phone for sync the time to RTC module or do some tricks.
Thanks for posting failures first as always. Helps tremendously!
Scott : High voltage is dangerous !
( Scott at 3:06 ) : "Turns the circuit on while holding it from the High voltage side"
uhm i'm pretty sure he turned the power on after he connected the krokoclamps
A clock with Nixie Tube is a perfect project... great!
Thanks :-)
Thanks to you :)
@@TheEmbeddedHobbyist that is the most expensive handmade nixie tube on the planet. It is a reproduction of the last Czech nixies made in the 70's. These are basically works of art that belong in museums and galleries, not in your DIY project.
I found a nixie clock kit on the net that use no Integrated Circuits, all functionality is achieved using discrete transistor-diode logic. This kit is great if you like soldering, or want to practice your soldering as you will need to make 2917 good solder joints to have the clock work. I'm 62 years young and love old tech. I don't know why except it is an art form.
Awesome project, awesome realisation, awesome result, awesome video... Thanks for the quality of your work and your explanations !
Considering that the RTC is holding the date as well, it wouldn't be hard to have the clock toggle between showing the date, and any other info you wanna show. Like using a DHT11 and throwing a humidity/temperature on there too!
Excellent, as always👍🏻
Thanks :-)
I built one of these a few years ago. There is a company that used to sell box kits that you could build yourself or come prebuilt. The one I have has hours minutes and seconds and would also flash over to the month day and year after a predetermined time.
Great video! Recently I made nixie clock on my own, but I used only one nixie driver and optocuplers to drive anodes so I can multiplex nixies.
That's the first time I've seen a project box made of the wood fibre filament - can't say that I'm impressed :(
Snafu I thought it looked nice
I think it's hard to print without it clogging up the nozzle. You should preferably use a bigger nozzle (0.6 or 0.8) for it to not clog up. The standard 0.4 won't cut it.
You could sell this as a complete kit. Very cool.
You have patience and knowledge.
So, You are genius
i am extremely impressed by your project and your knowledge of electronics and electronic parts. i enjoy watching the videos.
I wanted to make or get one for my grandpa, because he is an amateur ham radio operator, and he love old tech and such.
go for making it, he will be more happy that you made it yourself.
"Risk".... Let's give electroboom this idea..and we can have fun⚡⚡
Yes plz it would be awesome
Yaa its very correctly said
funny
I can see that from there. Ok, to proper driver nixie tube, you need high voltage. Let's connect it to the tube, *electric ark sound with some smoke*. High voltage is painfull, always manipulate it carefuly. :D
@@CEDrsgaming wow it feels like I am watching mehdi live...
I like that you're just wiring together COTS breakout boards that should be easy enough for us to get. Also the gold-on-black look of the ENIG finish on black solder mask is fantastic :-) I usually get simple HASL but it doesn't look as good.
I personally love Nixie tubes, they are relaxing to watch. But I especially loved it if they ran through each digits before stopping on one digit
I've been working on a nixie tube clock for about a month now as my first electronics project. Instead of the BDC chips I'm using transistor arrays and shift registers since my tubes weren't too happy with the cathode voltage being clamped to 50-60V, which I think the BDC chips do?. Also instead of an arduino and a separate battery-powered RTC I'm using an ESP32 which has built-in RTC and WiFi for NTP time synchronization.
It's been a huge project considering I knew very little about electronics and C and embedded programming at the beginning. Now I've completed the electronic design and PCB layout, learning KiCad in the process, and I'm very close to finishing the programming. I've yet to design a case, which I'll use as an excuse to learn CAD.
Berengal Update on the project? A nixie clock is an ambitious first project.
@@louisdelvecchio388 I got 90% done pretty quickly, then have only been working on it in stops and starts since. Other things keep getting in the way, plus when I'm almost done there's not much more to learn from the project so my motivation isn't always there.
I have controlled nixie tubes with the shift registers and transistor arrays, and I have gotten the esp32 to get the time via NTC and output it correctly on the shift registers, but that was both on breadboards. I have finished soldering the PCB, but I have some code tweaking left to fix some of the issues I ran into. I know what to do, it's just getting around to it.
HEY SCOTT
Pahle mujhe bhi interest nhi tha digital electronics mein, but pichle 1 saal se tagda wala interest aaya hai.
Btw i am also a CS major.
Suryanshu Sharma it’s fascinating isn’t it
@@apurvsharma1261 definitely, it is !!!
Beautiful project - and a lot of work. Well done. Absolutely beautiful
Seriously impressed. Great job! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your project with us. Nobody can get away from errors even the best of the best will fail sometimes. btw, How's your collab with DIY Perks, is there any update?
Mistakes happen. No updates yet.
Nice project! Though an ESP would have been better here. It could sync the time via wifi and allow changing settings via BT.
Yes it works with an ESP32 !
I made one last year See it here : www.thingiverse.com/thing:3624970
DCF77 is also cool if you're in Germany or nearby
@@Gastell0 Or even a GPS, they are so cheap nowadays
@@freedom2000 You get much better reception on DCF77 if you're in the area of coverage, though. At least in my experience.
I love the arduino. I didn't know about those issues. But wood filament!!! My mind was blown
An interesting project. I'd have loved a real wooden enclosure, but can appreciate benefits of the 3D printed one. Thanks for the video.
"The numbers mason what do they mean?"
First of all, I love this project, been thinking about building something like this for years. On this note, I just want to point out a few thoughts I have, on how to improve on this project, no hating thought, I admire your capabilities to troubleshoot and complete these things, hence why I've been following your channel for years. Big fan from Norway.
Now, I'd hate to look at this clock and see those 4 screws at the top of each corner. This could have been done way better, preferably with countersunk screws mounted from the side, covered with brown caps to keep them hidden.
A thought regarding the tubes themselves, cathode poisoning. This probably isn't a big problem for cheap components such as these, but it could be mentioned, and a code could be added to lengthen the life of these.
Lastly, brightness. A button to toggle between night time and daytime brightness, or just add a code for switching between these two modes at a specific time of day, or add a photocell and have it dim the light relative to its environment, could make it even more appealing.
I think the screws like he used them are pretty good looking, what I don't like it the fake wood texture. And no I wouldn't want to dim the luminosity of the device automatically, a fixed value is better. Can you describe the cathode poisoning effect?
@@AlessioSangalli Screws a ugly and protruding, not associated with a good finish. Dimming is a personal preference, why shouldn't it be an option? If you don't like it, don't incorporate it/don't use it, simple as that.
Cathode poisoning is very well explained on tube-tester.com, so google cathode poisoning and see for yourself. Good text and visuals for explanation, far better than I can give in a comment.
Super cool project! It's nice when the issues are relatively rest to fix 😎
this is super cool, just ordered all the parts and gonna try to go for a 6 tube clock with seconds
Can confirm, 170 volt pulsed DC *HURTS*
it was just shorted across my fingertip, though, so I'm ok
ditto!
Try 20kv DC across your balls, powder coating guns are no joke when the part ain't grounded
Hacking to the gate!
DAKARA IMA, ICHIBYOU GOTO NI
SEKAISEN WO KOETE
IT'S SO COOOOOOOL!
Hey Great Scott! I love your work. It helped me learn a lot about electronics!
Nice job. Three suggestions - cut the nixie tube wires each to a slightly different length - staggered - so you are only dealing with one wire alignment at a time, use a DS3231 clock module, Pi Zero W with NTP or low cost GPS module for clock accuracy.
Honestly, how long do these projects take, including researching, ordering and shipping and actual execution? Lol there were so many levels in this video
Hahaha :)) @ I got excited because I am really intersted in snubber capacitors and snubber circuits :D. on topic: wow those nixie tubes are awesome :O
Haha, well, the snubber capacitor video will follow someday.
@@greatscottlab I will gladly wait for this one
It's pretty cool that you show a condensed version of debugging on these videos.
This is amazing! Amazing video, man. Congratulations 👏🏻
can we talk about that neat handwriting
Left-handed at that. :D
I'm surprised you used Soviet ICs
All of your projects are interesting, but this is fascinating
You are very specific in making things
DIY or Buy: Christmas Lights?
Anyone noticed how he retraces everything that he has already written.
it drives me nuts and makes it look bad.. but.. eeh.. it's his thing I guess.
That is an elegant design, I love that.
I built one of these clocks about a year ago. My advice for anyone wanting to improve the design is to use shift registers to control the Nixie driver IC's. That will allow you to include a seconds display so you can watch the digits cycle. Additionally, shift registers open up more inputs and outputs so theres room for expansion. You can add buttons for time adjustment, a temperature sensor, or an alarm. In my design, I even included a sound sensor to extend the life of the tubes (clapping turns the clock on momentarily) and a relay to imitate an analog clock's tick.
On a similar note, I've found that those RTCs sometimes lose track of time and after a few months they'll be off track. This may be due to my poor programming skills but it may also be the RTC itself. Not to mention they don't account for daylight savings time (if you're in North America) so half the year it'll be an hour off.
Overall, I really like the design in this video. I only mention these issues/solutions so anyone who wants to try building one can learn from my mistakes.
Edit: Whoops this video came out a year ago, I actually finished my version a few months before his :D
What's another year... Another option might be to use six 4017 decade counters, that will require 12 gpios (reset+clock). Or even just two gpios if you feel adventurous and cascade them
I knew a guy that modified his early solid state pinball machine to use nixie tubes for the score displays. It was pretty cool
Can you please make "make your own 3d printer"
Thanks
Me: *Sees Nixie tube from USSR*
My mind: *USSR anthem intensifies*
СОЮЗ НЕРУШИМЫХ РЕСПУБЛИК СВОБОДНЫХ
@@user-um5zp6sp6l gesundheit
drivers are also made in USSR К155ИД1 is quite old IC I guess this logic utilizes bipolar transistors, not even FET like К176 or further series
@@chrisakaschulbus4903 so unwitzig man xD
@@bigwie52 ich weiß, nichtmal ansatzweise originell ^^
This was an excellent project and video. Thnx for sharing
I was admiring your accent when I noticed your shirt. I said, "I would like one of those". Actually I said, "Oh, have got to get me one of those!". I am going to get one and "I Will See You NEXT TIME!". :-) (Love it). You don't look like you sound! ;-) Very knowledgeable and thorough, you are. Keep up the GREAT work, Scott.
El Psy Kongroo
1 3 : 3 6
You monster.
Couldn't agree more!
?
lol
@@efeyzee It would've been nice if it said 13:37 instead, because this would say 'leet'
Keep saying and i alrrady know the right time is 11:45
Your content has improved so much! nice camera work, keep it up dude
Extremely helpful. Thank you for the detailed step by step.
Is that me or he is breathing hard after each sentence
Nice video tho👌
why the fuck did you mention that i cant unhear it now
I saw him first time.... Wow...
I thought he was a nerdy looking fat guys... But to my disappointment he is handsome.....how????
Coz he's a power electronics specialist and not a programmer😁😁
I am working on my own Nixie clock these days. I will be 6 digits, with seconds and uses a DSP12F module as a MCU. I also have a RTC in my project so most of the time keeping will be done with RTC but the MCU will also update the time from the internet once in every 24 hours. I like your simple but very clever design too. If I were you, I would prefer DS3231 as the RTC since it has an internal TCXO and keeps the time much more accurately than DS1307. Also the HV power supply link you provided gives a different unit than what you used in the project. The one in the link is the one I intend to use, but I am very much interested in the one you got from Tindie. Although it seems a bit on the expensive side, looks better quality and maybe it can provide a little more current since I will be driving 6 tubes instead of 4. Good project, thanks for sharing!
Its kinda funny that I had watched a guy a while back make one of these from scratch last night and you end up makin a vid
that looks SO plasticky.
Could've just used real wood tbh.
Голимая пародия Alex'a Gyver'a.
Алекс тоже далеко не первый кто сделал такие часы)) Для немцев это новинка))
Great video as always. Thanks for showing that you make the same mistakes as everyone! "what do you mean you didn't know the unique quirk of this particular pin in this unusual condition?"
A nixie clock is my next big project. My amazon wish list is full of parts for it. Gonna do hours, minutes and seconds with small nixie bots in between. Have to scrounge the money together first. Expensive project...
his face doesn't match his voice 😂