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Nixie clock: Tearup

Michael Dunn - October 12, 2017

What’s a Tea rup, you ask? Oh…Tear Up. As opposed to Tear Down. If taking something apart is a
teardown, surely putting something together is a tearup?

With that out of the way, enjoy this photo essay and schematic study of a modern Nixie tube-display
clock. My friend Rob enjoys building things like speakers and amps, and has always been enamoured
of Nixies (as have I, and many of you). Well, lucky him: he was finally gifted this kit a couple years
ago, and took these pictures for us to enjoy.

Figure 1 I made sure the gifter of the clock bought a kit with proper Nixies. Some tubes use an
upside-down “2” for the “5”, which looks utterly awful. The kit was made by Ramsey Electronics, not
long before they got out of the hobby business. Some may still be available though.
Figure 2 Partly assembled. We have anode voltage!

Figure 3 More assembled, you can see the 0.1 F (or 0.22 F; schematic & BOM differ) holdup
supercap at the rear-left, the PIC16F1827 at rear-right, and the HV flyback inductor at front-right.
Figure 4 Good views of the Nixie digit cathodes and screen anode.

Schematics etc.
Figure 5 NOS (new-old stock) ITT GN-9A Nixies from 1973.

Figure 6 The finished board. Where did this crazy trend of LED-lighting Nixies originate?
Fortunately, they can be turned off.
Figure 7 Nixies and LPs just…go together, don’t you agree?

Figure 8 The power supply section. The HV PWM & sense lines connect directly to the PIC µC.
Figure 9 The displays are in a 2×2 multiplex, with cathodes driven by a Supertex (now Microchip)
HV5812 high-voltage SIPO shift register. Microchip has really become the acquisition king. Or
queen…

Note that the HV5812 outputs are totem-pole, not open-drain. High output is supplied through VPP,
at 62V. Thus, while the Nixie striking voltage is 170V, the off voltage is still 108V. I think this is
enough to sustain a glow, but not enough to start one (feel free to check a datasheet and correct
me). Presumably then, the tubes are re-struck for each multiplex cycle.

Nixies are passé though. Wait till you see my Pixie project.

Related articles:

● Give me those old-tyme displays


● Awesome LED-Based Nixie Tubes
● Teardown: 1966 Programmable scientific calculator
● 1969 Compucorp calculator teardown
● 6 major electronics technology designs from 1956: Nixies
● Electronics of our youth
—Michael Dunn is Editor in Chief at EDN with several decades of electronic design experience in
various areas.

Follow Michael Dunn on and EDN on Instagram

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