My point remains. If you already know to program MCUs already, there's no need to go down the route of 74 series counters to build a clock, unless you want to. You can fuse that knowledge with the fundamentals of driving nixies.
I certainly didn't build a clock based on because I already knew how to use microcontrollers. Following your logic to it's endpoint, you'd be telling him to learn how to build a clockwork grandfather clock before daring to build a digital clock. David On Mon, 22 Sept 2025, 22:55 Leroy Jones, <[email protected]> wrote: > Adrian, I am so glad that you brought up the complexities of digital > design. Decoupling caps. Hefty grounds. > These things should not ever be overlooked in ANY well designed circuit. > I am not ready to give this young man the go-ahead > for the processor operated clock until he builds at least a few from > discrete logic first! Of course it is up to him how he wishes to spend > his time. > > How many of you guys on here have designed and built nixie clocks that run > on discrete logic and function properly for 25+ years without any trouble? > Because I have done so. Many different versions. I speak from > experience. But maybe that is of no value now. We just grab a raspberry > pi and act cool > about it and hope it works. > > On Monday, September 22, 2025 at 5:46:00 PM UTC-4 Leroy Jones wrote: > >> David Pye: You are missing the point of what I am trying to convey >> here. My point is that trying to design and build a microproceeor >> controlled nixie tube >> clock from scratch is an ambitious project even for experienced people. >> Ambitious for an experienced man. Impossible for a beginner. That is my >> point. >> It is about the same as someone who has never flown an airplane nor been >> involved with aviation in any way, suddenly thinks they can design and >> build a working >> helicopter from scratch and have it work flawlessly the first time >> without having any prior experience of any kind. >> >> The only way to do it is to learn each small thing in small steps. >> Building a working nixie clock from scratch is a massive undertaking. No >> way around that. >> >> I am attempting to give guidance to this young man so that he might learn. >> >> Got to crawl before walking. Got to walk before running. Folks today >> seem to want everything to have a processor in it. >> And made on a PCB. Lots of luck with that as a first-off effort! >> >> Get a solderless breadboard. Get some #24 gauge solid tinned jumper >> wires. Get a nixie tube. Get a 170 volt DC power supply. >> Get a 5 volt DC power supply. Connect both supplies so they share a >> common ground. Use a 15k anode resistor for the nixie tube. >> Get a 74141 nixie driver IC. Get a 74LS160 decade counter. Learn how >> to operate the counter using a 555 timer IC running in astable mode. >> Connect the counter to the nixie driver IC. Turn it on and watch it >> count. For detailed explanation and study, get these two books: >> 1) The TTL Cookbook by Don Lancaster. >> 2) The CMOS Cookbook by Don Lancaster. >> >> How the hell can anyone expect a newbie to understand what the processor >> is actually accomplishing without having him >> first deal personally with each binary bit? >> >> Or are we now in such an age where fundamental understanding has been >> relegated to the dustbin, because it is "Too Hard, and Too Much Work" ? >> >> Flatten out the learning curve? Nope sorry. Not buying it. ("flatten >> the curve".......hmmm......where have we heard THIS before?) >> >> Chuck >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Monday, September 22, 2025 at 5:08:27 PM UTC-4 David Pye wrote: >> >>> While I agree with some of this, I don't necessarily agree entirely. >>> >>> There are lots of things about the PCB that could be improved (eg using >>> ground planes/fills) and simple starting experiments - eg a trial >>> single-digit-nixie is a good place to start, to work out where the gaps in >>> your understanding are, and you can then incorporate what you learn into >>> the clock. >>> >>> What I don't necessarily agree with is starting by a clock using >>> discrete ICs and not a microcontroller. *IF* you come from the generation >>> where arduino/rPi Pico are more familiar to you than large numbers of >>> chained 74-series ICs (like me), then you might well find it easier to use >>> an MCU to drive your clock. If you're 'old school' and MCUs are also new >>> to you, then sticking to that should flatten out the learning curve a bit. >>> >>> David >>> >>> On Mon, 22 Sept 2025 at 20:38, Leroy Jones <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> For a 21 year old guy with no previous electronics experience, in my >>>> humble opinion, you are jumping in far far deeper >>>> than your present skill level is capable of producing any meaningful >>>> results. >>>> >>>> First of all, you have NEVER even fired up a nixie tube yet. Nor have >>>> you studied and worked with logic gates. >>>> If you want success, the first thing to do is get a nixie tube and a >>>> 170 volt DC power supply and a 15k anode resistor, then start >>>> experimenting lighting the tube digits. Next, get a 74141 or a 7441 >>>> nixie driver IC, and connect it up to an appropriate 4-bit switch of come >>>> sort >>>> so that you can feed it binary bits at the 5 volt level, and light the >>>> tube digits. Next thing then is to switch those bits using a counter such >>>> as 74LS160. >>>> >>>> As for a nixie clock, I would strongly suggest making one that uses no >>>> processor of any sort. Use TTL or CMOS logic to run counters that drive >>>> the 74141 nixie driver ICs. A very nice nixie clock can be made >>>> using about 16 to 20 ICs. >>>> >>>> Learning electronics and learning to use digital ICs and nixie tubes >>>> requires many, many practical tests and experiments. >>>> Jumping right in cold, with no prior experience right away thinking >>>> that a complex PCB can be designed and a clock made to operate >>>> without doing any experiments to prove the fundamental concepts is THE >>>> classic recipe for failure. >>>> >>>> I can help with book recommendations, parts lists to experiment with, >>>> and experiments to do. >>>> Take it slow. Stay down at the level of reality. >>>> >>>> -Chuck >>>> >>>> On Monday, September 22, 2025 at 3:02:23 PM UTC-4 Adrian Godwin wrote: >>>> >>>>> Also, put 100n capacitors between supply (5v or 3v3) and gnd near >>>>> each and every IC. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Mon, Sep 22, 2025 at 8:00 PM Adrian Godwin <[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Thanks for the pdf. Yes, the schematic wasn't usable. >>>>>> >>>>>> The first problem I've found is that SCLK and SDATA are connected to >>>>>> 3v3 and then have resistors in line. I'm pretty sure you had the right >>>>>> idea >>>>>> but made an error on the wiring, but if it's not obvious the resistors >>>>>> should be between 3v3 and the clk/data lines. >>>>>> >>>>>> You will likely need a pullup resistor on the light sensor., unless >>>>>> the Pi has one internally that can be enabled on analog inputs. They >>>>>> normally just measure voltages and you want to measure resistance. >>>>>> >>>>>> Overall, it's pretty good for a first try ! >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Mon, Sep 22, 2025 at 7:48 PM Mac Doktor <[email protected]> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Sep 22, 2025, at 2:43 PM, Florian van der Dussen < >>>>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Current schematic: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The schematic is too small to read. Please share a larger copy. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Terry Bowman, KA4HJH >>>>>>> "The Mac Doctor" >>>>>>> >>>>>>> https://www.astarcloseup.com >>>>>>> >>>>>>> "If only you could see what I've seen with your eyes."—Roy Batty, *Blade >>>>>>> Runner* >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>> Groups "neonixie-l" group. >>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, >>>>>>> send an email to [email protected]. >>>>>>> To view this discussion, visit >>>>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/33D10011-0F75-49D6-81B7-8049459EDE45%40gmail.com >>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/33D10011-0F75-49D6-81B7-8049459EDE45%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>>>> . >>>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "neonixie-l" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> >>> To view this discussion, visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/022b559a-12fd-4b3c-ac21-73224c815c0dn%40googlegroups.com >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/022b559a-12fd-4b3c-ac21-73224c815c0dn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "neonixie-l" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/f9f50dd1-abf1-4eed-810a-95a7f50db3d1n%40googlegroups.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/f9f50dd1-abf1-4eed-810a-95a7f50db3d1n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group. 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