This is a Nixie tube layer for our popular Layer clock with interchangeable layers. We’ll have it available in the Bolt Industries Store in the near future. It is available here as an open source design if you want to make your own!
If you already own a VFD layer clock, all you need to do is remove the top two layers and replace them with the Nixie layer. If you don’t already own a layer clock, you will need to make a bottom layer.
The four chips on the Nixie layer PCB take care of decoding the binary coded decimal format and switching the low side pins attached to each digit. The high voltage is only applied to the grid in front of the numbers inside of the Nixie tube, so there’s no need to switch the high voltage.
Open Source Design:
WARNING!!! If you are going to make this clock or purchase one of our kits, this PCB contains about 170VDC. While the NCH8200HV DC-DC converter probably can’t produce enough current to be lethal, 170 volts DC will hurt! The high voltage is present on R1-R4, the Nixie tubes and the bottom of the PCB.
These are the .JSON files that can be imported int Easy EDA so you can modify them to your liking. I do not like to share Gerber files for something that is supposed to be open sourced because they can not be modified. You can import the JSON into Easy EDA and export your own Gerber.
Nixie layer
Bottom layer
TTL Integrated circuit version, updated with USB-C:
Raspberry Pi Pico software driven version:
If you fancy software over a more hardware oriented approach, you can find that design over on our VFD Layer Clock page.
