Hey there, I have a similar plan for my work-in-progress clock. What I'm currently planning on doing is using a PIR sensor I ripped out of a really old motion detector in my house to allow me to use short-range motion detection. For some reason, the sensor seems to have a very erratic output (maybe it's just ambient noise), but what I've found is that if I take a software average of around 500 samples and compare the last five sample averages to the most recent one, I am able to 100% reliably detect a hand swing within around a foot of the sensor. I plan to use this as one way to turn it on. I also plan to enable software-based turn-on, eg turn on once every five minutes from 5pm-10pm or something. The way I plan to actually turn it off is to first pull the enable pin on my power supply low-all this does is pull the MOSFET gate low so that the 9v in (well, really 12v due to an annoying hardware glitch in the ATTiny45) is shorted through all the nixie tubes. This really isn't a problem as they won't even conduct at this voltage. Then I can turn all of the nixies off.
If you want me to post the processing+wiring code for my motion sensor I can do that. On Jan 23, 10:23 am, tunes <[email protected]> wrote: > *Its been a long time since I built the wonderful Jeff Thomas WWVB Radio > Controlled Nixie Clock. I was never able to get the modified Quartex module > to get a reliable receiver lock to keep the time accurately and I > reluctantly retired the clock over 5 years ago. Recently however, I was > able to source another receiver and for the hell of it removed the larger > ferrite antenna and tank cap and replaced the one in the modified Quartex > module. The clock synchs perfectly now and it is keeping time to the second > even through a snow storm for more than a week. I am amazed that it was > just the antennae. I have two more unpopulated PCBs and parts and plan to > build 2 more beauties.* > > *The only problem now with the clock is that the tubes are very expensive > and I want to preserve their longevity.* > > *I wonder if anyone can help me interface either an IR remote control to > switch the HV to the display on and off to permit continued time keeping > with the display off. This would increase tube life since I am never home > from 7AM to 7 PM and can turn off the display during the day. > Alternatively, an IR/Heat sensing PIR motion detector could, via a small > relay, turn the display off and on with movement in the room. Perhaps this > would be a more sophisticated solution. Looking at the attached schematic it > appears that the switch could be placed between the step up transformer HV > rail either before or after the Neon indicators. If placed after the > indicators the neons would stay lit indicating the clock was still running > albeit in display off mode. Thanks for any help or providing another > resource to help me solve this issue.* > > *The schematic can be seen here > **http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/wwvb.html*<http://www.amug.org/~jthomas/wwvb.html> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l?hl=en-GB.
