Nixie Clock IN16-4-V1

The electronics for this clock are based upon the CD81-6-V3 but this clock is smaller and only uses 4 tubes. No display of seconds. If you find the display of seconds too restless, this is the clock for you. The board is pretty small and there are more components placed on the bottom compared with the other designs. The clock is extremely easy to set by turning a knob, just like an old clock.

The power supply for this clock is just a simple 12VDC adapter. If you don't have a spare one, you can find one locally. 

This board also has place for RTC option and connections for a DCF77 time receiver. The PCB has place for the extra RTC (Real Time Clock) components and a voltage dropper for particular DCF77 modules that run on lower voltages. Check the schematics to see how it's done, there are some instructions there as well.

Here's a picture showing the electronic heart of the clock. At the righthand side you can see the HV generator that converts 12V into a regulated 142V, the supply for the nixie tubes. The tubes are Russian, type IN16, and have a normal '5', unlike some other Russian nixies that use a flipped '2' for a '5'. In front of the fist tube you see a vacant place for the RTC option which uses the Dallas DS1302 chip and a 32.768 KHz crystal. The SuperCap is mounted on the bottom.

The bottom side also has a silkscreen lettering which makes it easier to mount the components in the right place and right orientation. The PIC microcontroller is fitted on the bottom side of the PCB. The blue knob you see is actually a tiny encoder (optional), which is used to set the time. Simply rotate it, back and forth, and set the time. Just like an old clock. So if you build this clock, you have the perfect gift for loved ones that are not so technically skilled. There are holes underneath the nixie tubes, which makes it possible to mount some leds (blue?) under the tubes, if you fancy that. 

Be warned that this clock uses a fair amount of small smd components and therefore  not recommended if you have never soldered before. On the other hand, you don't need to have experience with smd components. I choosed relative large 1208 size smd components and these are not too difficult to handle. 

You can find the kit in my web shop. All order numbers start with IN16-4-Vx, where x is just the revision number. 

Files for Nixie Clock IN16-4-V1

Last updated 8 May 2005