The project is divided into three main steps. The socket / driver board, the power / logic board, and the enclosure.
I built the socket / driver board first then busted open an older Nixie tube clock project to get a 170 volt power supply and Particle Photon to test the socket / driver board:
Once the socket / driver board was completed, I moved on to designing and building the power / logic board. I used an off-the-shelf Nixie power supply to generate the 170 volts needed by the tube anode. I used a Particle Photon to control the clock. The socket / driver board is really just a 5 volt power supply, some level translators, and some wiring to connect everything together. The heavy lifting is performed by the power supply and Particle Photon boards.
Once I verified the socket / driver board and the power / logic board worked together, I designed an enclosure in Fusion 360. Here's a screenshot of a cutaway view of the enclosure showing how the two boards, enclosure, and mechanical parts fit together.
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/531211579454873700.png)
The enclosure is 3D printed using HP's MultiJet Fusion (MJF) 3D printing process. After printing, the enclosure is dyed black. The lid of the enclosure is cut from a piece of anodized black aluminum. The final step was to finish the software for the Particle Photon. Because the enclosure is plastic and does not block RF, I could assemble everything then use the over-the-air update feature of the Particle Photon to finish the software.
Complete details are on my blog:
https://bikerglen.com/blog/dalibor-farny-rz568m-nixie-tube-socket/
https://bikerglen.com/blog/dalibor-farny-rz568m-nixie-tube-controller/
https://bikerglen.com/blog/dalibor-farny-rz568m-nixie-tube-enclosure/
When you want a Dalibor Farny clock but can't afford six tubes...
Honestly, I like the one-digit-at-a-time thing - it's got a simplicity to it. Nice job.