I’ve been putting nixie tubes in projects for a while now, following Nick de Smiths’s design found here.  A really great write-up and explanation of how to make your own DC-DC converter for nixie tubes.  The most important thing I’ve learned is that LAYOUT IS CRUCIAL.  He emphasizes that in his write-up and you should really listen.  (I tried otherwise once and failed miserably.)  So the following is some results I got that I think would be useful to anyone considering building one into a project.

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I recently decided that instead of making a specialized PCB for every new project I work on, it would be a lot cheaper, and faster to make a controller that could handle just about everything I would need for the type of stuff I work on. The pictures above show the board being used in a future project.

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I recently ordered some parts from Newark.com for a project. Most of the parts are surface mount packages (1206, 0805), very tiny, very light. All together, probably about 4 ounces of actual product that could easily fit in the palm of my hand. I was perplexed when I got home one day to find a rather large box from Newark at my door. The package was about 3 feet by 2 feet, and according to UPS weighed 4 pounds. As you can see in the photos, each separate item (in some cases 2 1206 resistors/capacitors) was packaged in a ziplock bag, pretty standard. But that ziplock bag was packaged, in a bubblewrap insulated THICK paper envelope. AND, each product envelope was accompanied by a “Master Packing List” color printout, which featured 4 removable stickers at the bottom with the part information.

I get that manufacturers, or businesses might find this necessary in some way. Well actually I don’t get it, but I’m guessing they do? But really, there has to be a better way…. thanks to the bubblewrap and other special packaging most of the garbage, which was most of the package, isn’t even recyclable.

After almost 6 months working on this (not every day), Andria and I finally gave Rob and Katrina their wedding present.  Only one month late!  Not bad considering some of the obstacles.  So, here it is in all it’s glory.

Here’s how the buttons work:

The red button on the right is lit up inside with an LED when it’s pushed down.  When pushed down, the music box will play every day at noon.  The button to the very left of it will play the music box whenever you press it, unless you are setting the clock.  Pressing the two left side buttons down for two seconds starts the clock into setting mode where the left button is hours, and the one to the right of it is minutes.  To get out of setting mode, press the button next to the LED switch.  That’s it.  Here’s more pictures, and a video.

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The original clock, meant as an engagement present for my sister and her fiance, Andria and I thought we could do it all in 6 days.  A little too ambitious, but a great idea nevertheless.

After severely missing our deadline for the engagement party, we decided to start over.  Taking a little more time and care we figured the clock would be better suited as a wedding gift.  Since we now had 6 months instead of 6 days, we added a few more things, like the La Vie en Rose music box.  I also decided that rather than use wired tubes, it would probably be better to allow for replacement of the tubes, so sockets would be necessary.  To make the base, top level, and gear box for the stepper motor, I used multiple layers of ponoko cutouts:

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