r/arduino • u/AudienceHorror • 16d ago
Look what I made! My Nixie inspired LCD clock
A while back I decided I wanted to try and build a Nixie clock. I have seen them being popular for a long time and I really liked the look. While looking more into different clocks and tubes I found the fake Nixie clocks using an IPS display instead of the real tubes. I kind of liked that idea that you could use the clock to show more than just the time. But I didn’t find any particular one that I thought looked nice enough.
So I decided to look into how I could make my own Nixie inspired LCD clock. I spent quite some time thinking about how to imitate a real tube closely. I decided to make a real grid instead of just pasting it on the image displayed. Each tube has a small round interface PCB in the base. It connects the LCD assembly to the main PCB and carries the power and display control signals.
The clock is controlled by an ESP32-S3 and the displays are ST7789 IPS LCDs using the TFT_eSPI Arduino library. All the existing LCD nixie clocks I found uses a quite small display 1-1.4". I wanted to have bigger numbers so I chose a 1.9" display.
The five displays share the same SPI bus and are selected individually using their CS pins.
I use an INMP441 microphone module to capture the audio for the EQ, and have a MAX98357 amplifier module to drive a speaker (for future use)
There is a wifi configuration page where you set wifi credentials and location that is used for time zone and weather info. The weather data comes from OpenWeather.
If you run a script on your PC on the same network you can get PC stats data displayed.
I designed the clock with physical switches to try and make it feel more retro for selecting different display modes.
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u/-skyrocketeer- 16d ago
This looks very cool. What are the glass covers that you're using over the displays?
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u/Ok-Jeweler-8389 16d ago
I think I've seen the whole screen + bulb nixie style thing on AliExpress. They might be sold like that
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u/AudienceHorror 16d ago
They are actually custom made for me
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u/-skyrocketeer- 16d ago
So what part of this did you actually make or was it simply a kit that you put together?
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u/AudienceHorror 16d ago
I made all of it. I have of course seen the ones available on Aliexpress. Even bought a second hand one to see how they made them. But decided to take it to another level. You will not find this anywhere. I made it.
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u/Ok-Jeweler-8389 15d ago
That's very impressive! Where did you source the glass tubes? I might make something similiar for myself
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
I live in China at the moment (I'm Swedish). I searched Taobao for custom made chemistry glass and talked to some suppliers. Sent them a drawing and had them make me some samples.
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u/vriggy 15d ago
Do you speak Chinese?
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
Only a few words
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u/vriggy 15d ago
How do you effectively use taobao?
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
Well effective I cant say it is. But it works. I use the camera search function as much as possible.
For this project when I had to discuss (using the taobao chat function) with some suppliers I use browser on my PC with translation plug in.
Use Yandex to translate my questions, I see the answers translated to English directly by the plug in (I use english instead of Swedish, I get a feeling the translation works better then)3
u/USS_Penterprise_1701 15d ago
Can't be that difficult to just use translator applications, I would imagine. I've only had to speak to people a few times when looking for Lidar, but we were able to communicate just fine even though I don't speak Chinese and they didn't speak English.
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
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u/AleksLevet 750K :750K:, 2 espduino + 2 uno + 1 mega + 1 uno blown up 12d ago
Damn this is fantastic
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u/Cryp71c7 16d ago
That's really slick looking. Nicely done.
By any chance, are you planning on releasing any build details and code for this?
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u/AndrewTheGovtDrone 15d ago
OP built an AlinExpress kit, hence why they’re not sharing build details
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u/AudienceHorror 16d ago
Thanks! Not at the moment. I haven't decided yet if I will share it and right now it is still a work in progress.
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u/wspOnca 16d ago
He can't show the code, because this is from Ali express.
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u/SakuraCyanide 16d ago
I was thinking the same, they've been on AliExpress for quite a while now.
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u/AudienceHorror 16d ago edited 9d ago
I used the ones on Aliexpress as inspiration. But this project is to take that to the next level. I have designed 4 PCBs for this (2 active and 2 passive that are used as mech parts), designed and had the glass tubes manufactured. Designed and had the grid manufactured etc.
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u/USS_Penterprise_1701 15d ago
What is the black part hiding the display PCB?
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
There is nothing, it is just the display itself is black
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u/USS_Penterprise_1701 15d ago
Oh cool, that's useful. All the ones I saw were quite ugly lol
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
Sorry, maybe I misread your comment. I thought you asked if there was some panel in front of the LCD. Are you referring to the PCB in the bottom of the tube?
That is just a PCB with black soldermask
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u/woolamaloo 16d ago
Where did you get the images for nixie numbers?
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u/AudienceHorror 16d ago
I used this file from a guy named richiebee as base. Did some modifications to make the glow look better on my displays.
https://community.facer.io/t/nixie-number-set/76586
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u/sharpied79 16d ago
Looks great, uploaded to Github?
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u/AudienceHorror 16d ago
Thanks! Not at the moment. I haven't decided yet if I will share it and right now it is still a work in progress.
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u/skinnyjonez 15d ago
So just here to flex then?
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u/aqulioadler1 15d ago
They can't share what they don't have
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
Haha, why don't you think I have the code that controls this? Do you think my video is AI generated?
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u/daboblin 15d ago
You could 100% sell these commercially. Maybe a Kickstarter? I’d buy one, it’s awesome, well done.
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
Thanks. Honestly the first prototype I did looked like crap but when I first received the grid and the glass and put it together I thought to myself, shit this looks really cool, I wonder if I can sell these.
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
Some people asked about the glasstube. I searched on Taobao to find something generic that I could use but finally I ended up having some tubes custom made for me. The photo above shows from left to right:
- Chinese Nixie LCD clock tube (Aliexpress), tube is plastic, inner diam 21mm
- Taobao generic glass tube innerdiam 26mm height 50mm
- Taobao generic glass tube innerdiam 26mm height 60mm
- Custom made Quartz glass tube, inner diam 28mm height 64mm
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u/icbt_nl 16d ago edited 15d ago
That’s really nice. Well done. How are you driving this many displays?
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u/AudienceHorror 16d ago
Thanks! All five displays share the same SPI bus. Each display has its own CS pin, so I select one display at a time and send the data to it.
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u/Present_Let2487 16d ago
the fact that it also has weather and pc stats makes it even cooler. nice work!
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u/No_Mountain_4769 15d ago
This is super cool! I also want to make this. Any tutorials/references you followed?
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u/OvaTsugi8274 15d ago
I hope the numbers doesn't change and we endup in the 3rd world war
By chance, do you have a IBM 5100? I want It for..... things.
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15d ago
[deleted]
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
LCDs are not curved. It's just a a normal 1.9" display placed in the center of the tube.
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u/coleskidmore 14d ago
That ESP32-S3 handling five ST7789s over shared SPI is pretty much exactly the kind of thing I've been messing with for a garage sensor project. Never thought to use CS pin cycling for displays though. Thats clever.
Hows the refresh look when all five update at once? Any noticeable lag or does the S3 keep up fine?
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u/AudienceHorror 14d ago
I can update one full screen in about 30ms. That seems to be the limit for writing to this display. SPI_FREQUENCY set to 40MHz. I did some test with higher frequency but things got unstable then.
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u/AleksLevet 750K :750K:, 2 espduino + 2 uno + 1 mega + 1 uno blown up 12d ago
You made it to XDA developers, congrats!
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u/AleksLevet 750K :750K:, 2 espduino + 2 uno + 1 mega + 1 uno blown up 12d ago
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u/erroneousbit 15d ago
Ooooooo I want. Some are saying this is a kit??? I’m not seeing this exact look in aliexpress.
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
It's not a kit. There is only one of this and it's the one I made. I think some people are confusing this with replacement tubes for other Chinese IPS nixie clocks. The idea is basically the same just that I added a bit luxury flare to it. I used a bigger display, I added a real wire mesh, I added a real pin interface from tube to main PCB (instead of the board edge connectors used on the Chinese variants), I use a real Quartz glass tube (with a faked little glass nipple to simulate the gas port)
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u/erroneousbit 15d ago
Well if you ever sell kits I’d be interested.
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
I'm considering that at the moment. Trying to summarize my cost and estimate what this would cost if I could make a batch of them. Maybe I will try a Kickstarter.
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u/SequesterMe 15d ago
I am f-ing impressed. Mostly because you came up with the idea but your implementation is also exceptional.
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u/Bluebrolygod 15d ago
How much it cost
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u/AudienceHorror 15d ago
Actual cost for the one I built is way too much haha. But I'm looking into what it might cost if I could make a batch of these. I will consider making a Kickstarter, maybe to sell both the complete clock as well as individual tubes for people who want to build their own.
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u/Expensive_Cod4397 15d ago
That really looks awesome! I was stumbling across your post by coincidence. First thing that came up: wow!
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u/SpecialistEditor3176 13d ago
i got really shocked when a single nixie displayed 2 numbers then i realized it was not a real nixie
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u/Serge_OS 11d ago
What is that lcd?! Is it round shaped?!
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u/AudienceHorror 11d ago
No it's just a standard 1.9" LCD. Maybe the tube make it look a bit curved.
I think it's the same LCD as the one waveshare sells. 170*320 pixels
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u/dhyanais 4d ago
Looks really good. Congratualitions. – I am working on clocks myself and I build a clock that uses the local Suns' path as a dial. Have a look, please: https://astronomicalclock.eu/ It's free, ad-free and privacy-friendly.
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15d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/arduino-ModTeam 15d ago
Your post was removed since it doesn't grow or support r/arduino, but only your own external community.
Please don't just post content to promote your own external channel - if you link a video from an external channel, describe the project properly and answer questions here in the sub, rather than simply directing people to your own site.
You are welcome to post publicly on this forum but please leave out the invitations for discord, DM and other off site stuff out of your posts.
As for going private there is zero benefit as you lose the opportunity for getting peer reviews. Also we have had plenty of people return after going private (despite being warned) complaining about how they were ghosted after some time or being tricked into buying rubbish that didn't work and even if it did they didn't need.
As I said there is zero benefit to going private and plenty of benefit for not attempting to do so.
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u/Looney-T 16d ago
Looks great, I'm looking to replace my old 8-led matrix clock with something like this. Do you want to share it and if so, do you have a link?