Simple nixieclock [140013-I]
For sure: this is not a very original project: countless people designed a clock. Why another one? Well, this is a very compact clock built with 4 nixie tubes. It fits in a small box (17 x 9 cm) and the time is acquired with a GPS module, so no adjustment is needed. If there is any interest I will write a projectdescription.Buy the PCB and programmed controller in the Elektor shop:
For sure: this is not a very original project: countless people designed a clock. Why another one? Well, this is a very compact clock built with 4 nixie tubes. It fits in a small box (17 x 9 cm) and the time is acquired with a GPS module, so no adjustment is needed. If there is any interest I will write a projectdescription.
Buy the PCB and programmed controller in the Elektor shop:
http://www.elektor.com/search?cat=0&q=140013
Nixie tubes are obsolete, but there are still loads of them available (NOS and used) on Ebay, and of course there are (web)shops selling vintage electronic parts.
Discussion (8 comments)
ElektorLabs 3 weeks ago
NL0217903ID 2 months ago
Is there anybody who could help me with an update PIC program so I can use the clock for the next 15 years?
Regards, Aart.
Tim - 1 month ago
That is funny, i same problem. I would be really nice if there is a updated PIC program, i really like the clock, but i don't have the knowledge and stuff to reprogram it.
NL0217903ID 1 month ago
I've managed to update the program for the 140013 clock. It runs now for almost a week and seems OK.
I've just subtracted 12 years from the received GPS-year. This way I could avoid altering the lookup tables. The original program is rather messy and difficult to dig. Now I can use the clock for another 12 years!
Aart, Netherlands.
NL0217903ID 1 month ago
yes, it would be great if someone could provide us with a software update.
I have the skills but not the stuff. I have here MPLAB V6 and a PICkit 5. This has an assembler
that doesn't run the original code of the four digit clock. Not without a huge amount of rewriting.
So any help here would be much appreciated.
phase2682 9 years ago
smithy 10 years ago
Just built this project but....I didn't read about the timezone. Can someone point me to what needs to change in the code to set it to different timezone (I'm in Sydney Australia). Thanks
arvi1 10 years ago
Branchy 10 years ago
arvi1 10 years ago
smithy 10 years ago
Branchy 10 years ago
smithy 10 years ago
Branchy 10 years ago
NL0217903ID 2 months ago
Dear Branchy,
could you please help me with updating the PIC program?
Until 1-1-2025 the clock ran fine. But now its showing erratic things.
T Our clock is in perfect state so we wnat to use it for another 15 years!
Kind regards, aart(at)thor-bv.com netherlands.
smithy 10 years ago
Branchy 10 years ago
Lucky 10 years ago
Simple Nixie Clock [140013]
The original clock was constructed on veroboard, the Elektor lab designed the PCB for this project. Nixie tubes are obsolete, but there are still loads of them available (NOS and used) on Ebay, and of course there are (web)shops selling vintage electronic parts. For the design of the PCB we had to choose one specific type of nixies and we decided to use the IN-14, a Russian tube that we already used in the Nixie Thermometer/Hygrometer project (110321) presented in the June 2012 issue of our magazine. Of course any other type of nixie can be used as well, but the footprint on the PCB will be different, and in many cases the anode resistors (R1,R2,R4 and R5) will need to be changed.
The power supply is straightforward with the 7805 for the logic, 3.3V regulator for the GPS and standard step up converter around the good old MC34063 for the high voltage for the nixie tubes and neon bulb.
IC1..IC3 have logic BCD codes from the microcontroller on their inputs, and will switch the corresponding digit cathodes to ground level. The fourth digit (hours tens) will only show ‘0’, ‘1’ and ‘2’ and is therefore switched by high voltage transistors T1, T2 and T4, same goes for T3, switching the neon bulb LA1, which acts like a point between hours and minutes digits. This bulb will be steady on if JP2 is open and will blink every second when JP2 is shorted.
If JP1 is open, the fourth digit will only display ‘1’ or ‘2’, i.e. the leading zero will be switched off then.
The original design was made for GPS modules from Globalsat (EM-406, EM-411 and EM-408), but unfortunately these types were not available from our preferred suppliers, that’s why we changed it to the A2035-H from Maestro. This module was also used in our FPGA extension board (130148). The nixie clock will work with all these modules without any firmware modifications. Only the A2035 will fit on the PCB, the Globalsat modules will need some additional wiring. Note that the A2035 module needs an external link between pin 18 (ON/OFF) and 4 (WAKEUP) in order to boot automatically, of course this connection is already on the PCB. Without this link the module would need a pulse from the microcontroller on the WAKEUP input to start up. S1 and JP3 are optional, these parts were only added to make a firmware upgrade for the A2035 a bit easier, but that is not really necessary.
Soldering the A2035 is quite a challenge, the small connections on sides of the module can be done with a conventional (small) soldering iron, but there’s no way the ground pads underneath the module can be soldered this way, you’ll need a reflow oven for that. We just skipped these connections when we constructed our prototype (considering that most of our readers will not have an oven) , and the module works perfectly without them.
The clock is controlled by a PIC18F2840 microcontroller, which can be programmed via K1, the PICkit programming interface. The assembly language source code and the HEX file for programming will be available as free download (140013-11) on our website. A ready programmed PIC18F2840 is also available in the Elektor Shop (140013-41).
Note that time information from GPS modules is UTC-based, the standard firmware converts this to CET (i.e. UTC+1 or +2, depending on daylight saving). For other time zones this offset (variable named OFFSET, offset calculated in routine CALC_OFFSET) in the source code has to be changed!
Part list 140013.zip (11kb)
140013-schematic-0.jpg (373kb)
Nixie_OCC_2480_Elek.zip (15kb)
dvx 10 years ago
Lucky 10 years ago
Nixies may be old stuff, but they still look great. Nice thing that this clock is synchronised by GPS, although the firmware has to be adopted to other time zones than GMT+1. Many clocks rely on DCF77, but this is onlly useable in Europe and I can imagine that one day the transmitter in Frankfurt will be obsolete (although I haven't found any signs that it will be in the near future). Anyway, suitable GPS modules for this clock are made by many suppliers, whereas DCF seems to be the domain of just a few manufacturers (correct me if I'm wrong!).
As you can see on the picture, Branchy built his clock on veroboard, I will design a PCB for it here in the Elektor lab.Any suggestions what type of nixie to use? I am planning to take some IN-14's, just because I have some left from another project and they seem to be available and affordable on Ebay.
petrus bitbyter 11 years ago
Just got some nixies so may be it's a usefull target. I'd like to build a morse generator in it that sounds ever quarter (or half or whole) hour or every other presettable default or on request.
petrus bitbyter
petrus bitbyter 11 years ago
Just got some nixies so may be it's a usefull target. I'd like to build a morse generator in it that sounds ever quarter (or half or whole) hour or every other presettable default or on request.
petrus bitbyter