Low profile board for Dalbors tubes

[Richard Scales]

I have made a few different boards to support Dalibor Farny's tubes as well as Z568 etc. though my solution consisted of a tube board on top of a driver board.

I decided to make a single board version - given the amount of space available between and around the tubes.

I still wanted to make the board as 'small' as possible with minimal space around the tubes between front and back as well as to the left and right.

The clock is based on the open source PRISM design so it features WiFi connect, web GUI, NTP Sync with optional connection for a motion detect device.

The result is a single board with all components underneath which extend no more than 11mm below the PCB.

I also made a cut acrylic case which is a snug fit to emphasise the size.

The board also features Dalibors 'proper' drive method so each cathode has its own series resistor in an effort to produce an 'even' glow across all digits.

I've also constructed my own colon towers which feature underlighting, the neons are mounted on a tall thin PCB (no pictures yet) though I only have a handful of silver bases left - plenty of black ones (anodised aluminium).

I am contemplating making bare boards or a full kit available - PM me if interested.

[Richard Scales]

I just made a version with green-tint acrylic for a special request.  

- Richard

  

            

[martin martin]

Now that's an excellent  design!  Now all I need is 6 of DF's tubes.  He's not made a video in a while.. hope all is well in the Nixie factory.

~

mcve...@gmail.com

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[GeckospotNixie]

Richard

I'm interested in a full kit!
With green-tint acrylic!
It looks outstanding!
I have a set of 6 tubes that I bought from Dalibor in late 2019 and was always going to build a board.
And then 2020 and all the issues came and have never got back to it.
This would be a good way to get them out of the boxes and put them to use!
What is your time frame or do I need to contact you directly?

Tom

[Paul Andrew Lafranchise]

Well, that is just beautiful! I quite like the green tint with the dark board underneath. I don't quite understand the colon towers. Do they consist of a PCB with leds mounted inside a glass/acrylic tube? 

On Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 9:47 PM Richard Scales <ric...@scalesweb.co.uk> wrote:

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[Mac Doktor]

On Feb 13, 2022, at 12:47 AM, Richard Scales <ric...@scalesweb.co.uk> wrote:

I just made a version with green-tint acrylic for a special request.  

What software are you using to design your enclosures? Who's cutting them? Just curious.

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

https://www.astarcloseup.com

“...the book said something astonishing, a very big thought. The stars, it said, were suns but very far away. The Sun was a star but close up.”—Carl Sagan, "The Backbone Of Night", Cosmos, 1980

[Richard Scales]

Hello,

The colon tower is constructed of several parts as follows:

Small circular base PCB which has the pins which push in to the clock PCB, on top of the PCB is a single neopixel.

THere is  tall vertical PCB that holds two neons. This sits directly on top of the neopixel and attaches to the tops of the pins via short leads.

THere is a metal base part which sits over the small circular PCB (snug fit).

A glass tube then sits over the tall vertical PCB and sits inside the top of the metal base part.

Do you see what I mean?

- Richard

[Richard Scales]

For the enclosures I use the following process:

FIrstly I lay out the design using Solid Edge 2D drafting software from which I export a DXF File.

I use my own laser cutter (Triumph 6040) to cut the parts - their software reads the DXF, I then control which parts I want to cut.

Their software is called 'Lasersoft' http://www.triumphlaser.com

I find that their software does absolutely everything that I would want it to do - Can anyone recommend any alternatives or are all these products tied to the cutters that the software is supplied with?

- Richard

[Bill van Dijk]

Hi Richard,

 

I use Lightburn (https://lightburnsoftware.com/ ) for my K40 laser cutter, it can control a number of different laser cutters depending on the control protocol it uses. It should not be difficult to find out if it supports yours.

 

Cheers, Bill

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[Robert]

Here’s the green acrylic that Richard mentioned populated with tubes

Thanks

Rob

On 14 Feb 2022, at 12:47, Bill van Dijk <theold...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[dixter]

HI Richard... Please put me down for a kit or two when you make them available...  I have the tubes and your design looks like a great clock in the making...

thanks

db