24 Hour Nixie tube clock w/o microcontroller

[Saimaster13]

Connected the grounds together and the transistor now works!

Facebook video

[brad]

They can't start from two places though? I mean, it is kind of like 2 circuits almost independent of each other... except for the fact that the timer output does not go through the transistor.

That is why, isn't it? The 555 timer outputs to the transistor, but the electrons do not move through that wire, so it does not activate the transistor.

Whereas if you connected the grounds, holes would be going from the positive output of the 555 through to the negative emmiter of the transistor, turning it on.

The holes move because the electrons jump into the holes

Great to see it now works - how about a photo?

[Saimaster13]

Well, I was just testing the concept. I connected a bunch of wires to loose resistors, a transistor, 2 batteries, a 555 circuit and a camera power module, so its not very photogenic. I did take a video of the tube blinking, its in my previous post, the link is called "Facebook video".

[brad]

Well, I was just testing the concept. I connected a bunch of wires to loose resistors, a transistor, 2 batteries, a 555 circuit and a camera power module, so its not very photogenic. I did take a video of the tube blinking, its in my previous post, the link is called "Facebook video".

Sorry, disregard my last post, I completely missed that you had a facebook video!

Just checked it out and that is one nice flashing number 9!

Do you plan to make it and hours, minutes and seconds clock?

PS I added you as a friend on facebook.

[Saimaster13]

Cool, and I plan on making an hours and minutes minutes clock, possibly seconds too, we will see what happens. Problem is though, I have no sockets currently, but I did just order some pins for them. Hopefully they will work. Until then I will probably working on the Logic simulator code.

[brad]

It's all good, I have multiple projects on that go too

[Saimaster13]

So I started working on it again. Sadly, when I tested using multiple nixie tubes with my hacked camera power supply, the nixie tubes dimmed. I decided I would only have one nixie tube on at a time, and to do this I am now using a microcontroller.

[Saimaster13]

Pictures of a work in progress.
(Pictures re- sized to 1/10 size so they can actually fit in the post.)
Ask if you want any more details or higher resolution pictures.
I am currently working on this, and once I finish and make sure that everything works alright, I will make and post schematics.

[brad]

Very nice Joshua!

[bitfogav]

Plugging in them tubes must be abit fiddly??

[Saimaster13]

Plugging in them tubes must be abit fiddly??

Ya, it is. After you do it the first few times the pins form to the nixie's shape, but then you solder the bottom of them and they move...

[Saimaster13]

Videos testing two digits:

[brad]

Looking good - although you must have been sitting there recording for hours!

[Saimaster13]

It was worth it though, definitely worth it to see it actually running.

[brad]

And that's why we make projects!