Pvelectronics Dink Configuration guide

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
Issue 9 (10 November 2017)
www.pvelectronics.co.uk
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Assembly Ins ruc ions
And
User Guide
Nixie Clock Type
‘Dink’

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
Issue 9 (10 November 2017)
www.pvelectronics.co.uk
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REVISION HISTORY
Issue
Number
Da e Reason for Issue
9 10 November 2017 Modification to 5V Power Circuit
8 17 November 2013 WWV no longer supported
7 19 June 2012 Different Inductor type added
6 30 May 2012 New oard revision 18 May 12
5 5 Feb 2012 Errors corrected
4 28 Jan 2012 Errors corrected, new C4 value
3 24 Jan 2012 Revised for new PC dated 1 Jan 12
2 08 July 2011 Errors in schematic corrected
1 29 May 2011 New document

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Abou he clock
Nixie clock type ‘Dink’ is a Nixie Clock Driver PC , specially designed for
driving remotely-placed tubes. Connections are provided for simple
wiring of tubes using a multiplex configuration. Connections may be
made at the board by either screw terminals (supplied), direct solder
connections or 0.1” pin headers/ sockets.
1.2 Clock Fea ures
Nixie clock type ‘Dink’ has the following features:
- Tubes connected remotely via screw terminals or pin headers
- Hours, Minutes and Seconds display
- 12 or 24 hour modes
- Date display in either DD.MM.YY or MM.DD.YY format
- Alarm, with programmable snooze period
- Programmable date display each minute
- Output for LED tube lighting
- Uses a Quartz Crystal Oscillator as the timebase
- Optional DCF / MSF / GPS synchronisation with status indicator LED
- Supercapacitor backup. Keeps time during short power outages
- Simple time setting using two buttons
- Programmable leading zero blanking
- Five programmable neon colon settings (Flashing AM/PM indication,
illuminated AM/PM indication, both flashing, both on, both off)
- Maintains time during setup mode, eg. When changing between
Standard Time and Daylight Savings Time
- Seconds can be reset to zero to precisely the set time
- Programmable night mode - blanked or dimmed display to save tubes
or prevent sleep disturbance
- Separate modes for colon neons during night mode
- Standard or fading change of digits
- ‘Slot Machine’ Cathode poisoning prevention routine
- All user preferences stored to non-volatile memory

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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1.3 SAFETY
DANGER: The clock pcb includes a switched-mode voltage booster
circuit. This generates nominally 170 Volts DC, but is capable of
generating up to 300 Volts before adjustment. Assembly may only be
undertaken by individuals who are suitably qualified and experienced in
electronics assembly, and are familiar with safe procedures for working
with high voltages. If in doubt, refer to a suitably qualified engineer
before proceeding.
The vol ages genera ed by his circui can give a po en ially
LETHAL ELECTRIC SHOCK.
DISCLAIMER: This product is supplied as a kit of parts, intended only for
suitably qualified electronic engineers, who are suitably qualified and
experienced in electronics assembly, and are familiar with safe
procedures for working with high voltages. The supplier, his agents or
associates accept no liability for any damage, injury or death arising from
the use of this kit of parts.
This is not a finished product, and the person assembling the kit is
responsible for ensuring that the finished product complies with any
applicable local regulations governing electrical equipment, eg. UL, CE,
VDE.

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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2. TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
2.1 Tools required o assemble he PCB.
The following tools will be required to assemble the PC :
- Soldering iron with a small tip (1-2 mm)
- Wire cutters (TIP: A small pair of nail clippers works very well for this
function)
- Wire strippers (TIP: A small pair of scissors is quite suitable)
- Multimeter for voltage tests and for identifying the resistors.
- Small flat screwdriver for adjusting the high voltage supply
2.2 Ma erials you will need.
Solder – lead / tin solder is preferred. Lead free solder, as now required
to be used in commercial products in Europe, has a much higher melting
point and can be very hard to work with.
Desoldering wick (braid) can be useful if you accidentally create solder
bridges between adjacent solder joints.
2.3 O her i ems you will need.
The clock kit does not include a power adapter. This is because the kit is
sold to many countries around the world, each with very different
household mains outlet socket types. It is more efficient for the user to
buy a suitable adapter locally. This saves shipping a heavy adapter with
the kit, and also the extra costs of managing stocks of many varied
power adapters. If you are using a WWV , DCF or MSF receiver, it is
recommended to avoid switching regulators as they can cause a lot of
interference issues.
The type of power adapter can be obtained at very low cost. The
following type of adapter should be obtained and used with the kit:
Output 12V DC
Minimum power output capability of 250 mA.
Output plug: 2.1mm pin, centre positive.
A suitable adapter is shown below:

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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3. LIST OF COMPONENTS
3.1 Table of componen s
Circui Designa ion Par Descrip ion
Resistors
R1 390K, ¼ Watt
R2 4.3K, ¼ Watt
R3 10K, ¼ Watt
R4 390K, ¼ Watt
R5 – R7 560R, ¼ Watt
R8 - R10 10K, ¼ Watt
R11 560R, ¼ Watt
R12, R13 10K, ¼ Watt
R14 - R19 2K7, ¼ Watt
R20 – R25 390K, ¼ Watt
R26 – R33 10K, ¼ Watt
R34, R35 390K, ¼ Watt
Capacitors
C1, C2 100nF Ceramic
C3 1uF, 250V, Electrolytic
C4, C5 33pF Ceramic
C6 0.22F
C7 100nF Ceramic
C8 470uF 16V Electrolytic low ESR
C9 100nF Ceramic
Transistors
Q1 IRFD220 MOSFET
Q2, Q3 MPSA42 NPN
Q4 – Q9 MPSA92 PNP
Q10 – Q17 MPSA42 NPN
Diodes
D1, D3 1N5817 or 1N5819
D4 UF4004
D5 – D8 1N4148
D9 5mm Green LED
D10 5mm Yellow LED
Integrated Circuits
IC1 7805 5V voltage regulator
IC2 PIC16F1936 8-bit microcontroller
IC3 K155ID1 Nixie driver
Miscellaneous
L1 100uH inductor
SW1, SW2, SW3 Miniature push button
VR1 1K Potentiometer
IC Socket 28 Way IC socket for IC2
J1 2.1mm PC power socket
GPS / RFT 3.5mm Jack socket connector
LS1 Piezo sounder
FUSE 500mA resettable Fuse
Tube Connectors 2.5mm pitch screw terminals
X1 32.768KHz watch crystal

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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The resistors used in the kit are 1% tolerance metal film. They are
marked with 4 coloured bands to identify the value. However it is
sometimes unclear in which direction the bands should be read.
Therefore, we recommend that the resistors be identified with a
multimeter.
Note that there is no D2 or D5.
The fuse is a resettable type, and looks similar to the picture
below, so don't confuse it with a capacitor.

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3.2 Par s lis / Packing shee
Par Descrip ion Quan i y
Resistors
560R, ¼ Watt 4
2.7K, ¼ Watt 6
4.3K, ¼ Watt 1
10K, ¼ Watt 12
390K, ¼ Watt 10
Capacitors
470uF, 16V, Electrolytic, low ESR 1
1uF, 250V, Electrolytic 1
100nF, Ceramic 4
33pF, Ceramic 2
0.22F 1
Transistors
IRFD220 MOSFET 1
MPSA92 PNP 6
MPSA42 NPN 10
Diodes
1N5817 or 1N5819 2
UF4004 fast recovery diode 1
1N4148 4
5mm Green LED 1
5mm Yellow LED 1
Integrated Circuits
7805 5V voltage regulator 1
PIC16Fxxxx 8-bit microcontroller 1
K155ID1 Nixie driver 1
Miscellaneous
100uH inductor 1
Miniature push button 3
1K Potentiometer 1
28 way IC Socket for IC2 1
2.1mm PC power socket 1
3.5mm Jack socket connector 1
Piezo sounder 1
500mA resettable fuse 1
2-Way terminal connector 5
3-Way terminal connector 4
32.768KHz watch crystal 1
It is recommended that the kit is checked against the list above, to
ensure all parts are present before commencing assembly. Don’t be
alarmed if there are some extra components, as some component
bags are shared between different kit types.

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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4. ASSEMBLY OF THE PCB
4.1 Low Vol age Power Componen s:
D1 and D3 (1N581x)
D5 (1N4148)
IC1 (7805)
C1 and C2 (100nF)
J1 (DC Connec or), FUSE
Parts bags from serial 0691 onwards require a 1N4148 diode to be
inserted into the middle leg of the 7805 voltage regulator. First,
clip the middle lead so it is 4-5mm long, then solder the diode as
shown. It can be then used as per the remaining instructions. ut
please note, the photos in the rest of the instructions show the
7805 without this addition.
Start assembly of the PC by installing D1 and D3. Align the white
band on the components with the band marked on the PC . Then
mount C1 and C2.

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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4.2 Continue to mount IC1 with D5 attached. After placement, IC1 can
be placed and bent over to reduce the height of the assembled
PC . The fuse and J1 may now be placed in position.
The PC should now look like the picture below, but with the
addition of the diode D5 to the middle lead of IC1:

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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4.3 4.2 Tes ing Low Vol age Power Componen s.
Identify the test GND, 5V and 170V test points as shown below.
Plug in the power supply, and then test using a DC voltmeter:
Touch the black probe on the GND test point and the red probe on
the 5V test point. The voltage should measure between 5.3 and 5.7
Volts. If not, disconnect power and check your work. Do not
proceed with the assembly until the error is corrected. Once the
test is completed, disconnect the power.
4.3 High Vol age Genera or componen s:
R1 (390K), R2 (4.3K) and R3 (10K)
Q1 (IRFD220)
D4 (UF4004)
C3 (1uF 250V)
C8 (470uF, 16V)
VR1 (1K)
L1 (100uH induc or)
Socke for IC2
Note that due to part availability, one of two types of inductor may
be supplied. An Axial inductor will fit the PC marking easier. If you
have the radial part, refer to the photograph on the next page for
mounting instructions.
Pay attention to mount D4 with the white band aligned with the
PC marking. Insert the 28 way IC socket into the PC at the IC2
position, ensuring that the notch at one end is aligned with the
corresponding marking on the PC .
Q1 has two pins that are joined together. The orientation of the
joined pins is marked on the PC .

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Resistors R1-R3, indeed all the resistors on the board need to be
mounted upright to save space. The leads need to be formed as
shown below. end the leads of each resistor as shown and solder
in to the correct postion, making sure the component body is as
close to the board as possible.
After installation of step 4.3 components, this is how the PC
should look:
If your kit contains the radial inductor, use a short piece of wire to
extend one lead of the inductor as shown below:

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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4.4 High Vol age Genera or Tes .
- Refer to the warnings on page 4
- Insert IC2 into its socket. Orient the notch on the IC with the
notch on the IC socket and the PC marking.
Power up the PC , and using the GND and 170V test points,
measure the high voltage generated. It should be initially 150-
190V. Using the VR1 brass screw, slowly adjust the screw until the
voltage is between 168 and 172V. Disconnect the power supply.
Finally, remove IC2 from its socket and replace on its static-
protective foam. It is best kept safe until later.

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4.5 D6 - D8 (1N4148)
C6 (0.22F)
C7 (100nF)
C6 is a high capacity ‘Super Capacitor’, intended to keep the
processor powered for short periods in the event of a main power
failure. It is vital that it is placed in the correct orientation. See
below. There are arrows on the component that need to be
pointing the same way as the arrows on the PC .
4.6 C4 and C5 (33pF)
X1 (32.768 Khz Crys al)
These are the timekeeping components: 32.768KHz crystal and
two load capacitors.

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4.7 IC3 (K155ID1 Nixie Driver IC)
Align the notch on the IC body with the corresponding PC mark.
See below:
4.8 Q2, Q3, Q10 – Q17 (All MPSA42)
After placement of these 10 transistors, the board should look like
this:
4.9 Q4 – Q9 (All MPSA92)
After placement of these 6 transistors, the board should look like
this:

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4.10 R20 – R25 (390K)
R26 – R31 (10K)
R14 – R19
These are the current limiting resistors for the Nixie Tubes. For
medium sized tubes with a current requirement of 2-3mA per digit,
2.7K are recommended and these are the value supplied. If your
tubes differ from this requirement, you will need to calculate and
supply an alternative value.
See picture below:
4.11 R8 - R10, R32, R33 (all 10K)
R5, R6, R7, R11 (560R)
R4, R34, R35 (390K)
If you are going to use LEDs for the AM / PM colon indicators then
do not install R34 and R35 at this stage. Refer to step 6.2

Nixie Tube Clock ‘Dink’
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4.12 ALARM, ADJ, SET Swi ches
GPS / RFT Connec or
C9 (100nF)
LS1 (Piezo buzzer)
4.13 D9 (5mm Green LED)
D10 (5mm Yellow LED)
These two LEDs should be mounted with the longer lead in the hole
marked +. You can choose to mount them facing sideways like the
switches, or vertically.

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4.14 Screw Terminal Connec ors
Note that the screw terminals may be omitted and the tube
connections made either by direct solder connections or by using
the subsidiary 0.1” spaced pin – terminal headers.
Make up the screw terminal connectors into blocks by sliding
together to attach as shown below:

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5. CONNECTING THE NIXIE TUBES
5.1 Referring to the diagram below, connect all the same cathodes
from each tube together. This is because this is a multiplex design,
so all the cathodes for each digit are connected, and each anode is
energised in turn. Only the first 3 tubes are shown, however NX4,
NX5 and NX6 are connected in exactly the same manner.
There will be just 16 wires from the tubes leading back to the PC
(10 for the cathodes and 6 for the anodes). Connect to either the
screw terminals or the pin headers (via sockets / pins if you wish)

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6. CONNECTING THE OTHER INDICATORS
6.1 Abou he colon indica ors
Provision is made for two multifunction colon indicators – they can
be set to flash the seconds, indicate AM /PM, or a combination of
both. Each colon (AM or PM) has a + and a – terminal. The
indicators can be either neon lamps or LEDs.
The indicators are fed from point J8. This needs to be connected to
either 170V (for neons) or 5V (for LEDs)
6.2 Neon lamps for he colon indica ors
Locate J8 – it is adjacent to the 170V test point. Solder a small
connection between J8 and the 170V test point.
Now wire up small indicator neons to the AM and PM connection
points. If the brightness needs to be adjusted, you can change the
values of resistors R34 and R35 as appropriate
6.2 LEDs for he colon indica ors
Locate J8 – it is adjacent to the 170V test point. Make a small wire
connection between J8 and the 5V test point.
Install suitable current limiting resistors for R34 and R35. Do not
draw more than 30mA per LED.
6.3 Show LEDs
Provision is made in hardware and software for a series of ‘Show’
LEDs that illuminate the tubes for added attraction. If you do not
want this feature, you may omit these.
6.4 Connec ing Show LEDs
Connect up the LEDs as shown below to the + and – Show
Terminal Connections. Use appropriate current limiting resistors,
calculated to draw no more than 20mA per LED.The LEDs are
powered by 12V DC.