It is a pendulum clock with a NixieTube (IN-12b) that plots the time in the air it passes.
A magnet at the bottom of the pendulum gets pushed by an stationary air coil, as soon as it "looks" directly down. The positions of the plotted numbers are acquired by an i²c accelerometer. The pendulum is ball-beard.
If I would build this clock angain, i would use a ESP8266 or ESP32 smd chip so it could be flashed over the air (OTA!) but then you'll need a logic-level-converter from 3,3V to 5V for 74141-Input and IRL540N MOSFET.
You can find here:
-Scheematics
-Partslist
-Instructions
Update-05/2022:
I am scrapping this project. I tried to make a new video, but critical timing in the code, did not work out to display the time properly after a while in the book shelve. This was a fun project - but the next are in line. Ill scrap this build for something new. You'll see parts of this in the near future.
Also i made a video with all my old outtakes:
Details
Files
nixie_pendulum_clock_scheematics_1.pdf
complete wireing. fixed grd & V+ at coil driver. Addet a current limiting Resistor for the Nixietube (Current should be around 4-7 mA for nominal glowing numbers)
Adobe Portable Document Format -
75.55 kB -
05/09/2021 at 11:25
Connect all the wooden parts exept the arm with wood screws so you get a stand like this:
(Foot + stand + standof)
2
2. Mount the arm with 2 ball-bearings
b) Drill a hole centric in one end of the arm, so the ball-bearing fits in it. The ball-bearing looks like this:
and they were stuck in both ends of the hole. A small but long M2 screw goes through the ball-bearings with got tighten by counter nut.
On the other end of the arm drill a hole for the cables from 74141 to nixie-tube.
On the front of the arm i used a Nixietube-Socket (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:576723). I stuck in the nixie-tube and and after that i solderd the cables (10 Cathodes, 1 anode with 170 V - The currentlimmiting resitor shouls limit the current from 1-3 mA's). Then the socket gets screwd onto the front of the arm.
Now find a screw to mount the arm it on the small pice of wood (the stadof), or use a 90° aluminium angle to fixate the arm through the ball-bearing on the "too" long M2 screw.
If all went well: after you tip the arm it should swing very long and it will move for minutes!
3
3. Electronics and correct Magnet placement
See scheematic for wiring. Build the backside parts onto the backside of the stand onto the wood.
Build the "Pendulum" parts together and secure them on the backside of the arm. The Accelerometer needs to be as close to the axis (ball-bearings) as possible! Otherwise the centrifugal force will be more present in the meassurement than the gravitational force.
Find a way to secure the flexy-cable, from the boackside of the stand to the backside of the arm, while the arm still can swing freely, without much dampening of the swinging.
Now connect Ground, +5V and Coild-Trigger from D13 from the backside of the stand to the flexy-cable and on the arm from flexy-cable to the rest of the electronics.
Check every module on functionality (RTC, Accelerometer, Nixietube - all numbers)
Upload and set the RTC.
Now we need to get that pendulum keep swinging. Check if position: "arm straight down" equals 0° on the Accelermeter (MMA_7455). The Coil should induce a pulse on the magnet. See with some other magnet, witch two sides of the cubic magnet are the poles - one should attracht the coil and the other side should repell from coil - we need the repelling force configuration for this project. Mount the coil on the upside from the wooden foot and glue the magnet on the arm at the backside bottom position WITH: repelling force configuration / orientation!
The clock speed is/was not the problem. It was my codes semi automatic timing of the "left2right" and "right2left" offset delay. .. at least i think it was.
At first I though it would be possible to make the duty cycle longer to increase the brightness but then I realised that would blur the digits. Still it's an interesting way to use only one tube.
That is a bonkers build! At first I thought this was going to be a bar-graph tube that just lights up pixels for POV display... so much more interesting as an actual Nixie. Do you worry about the Nixie failing due to vibration? I have no idea how these parts are rated and what they can stand up to.
Thanks! A previous project tought me, those tubes are fast. So that idea came up by it self. When tapping a tube (ZM1180) you could hear the numbers flapping around just a bit. But here the swinging arm is stored on a ball bearing and the push from the coil on the magnet is barely audible. I dont think the tube it self degrades, but a strong impulse might bend the number-plates.
I do really love this project (being a clock fanatics !)
Thats's a pity that the PoV effect is so limited...