Thanks! I highly recommend taking part in the Retro Challenge. It’s a great excuse to work on something completely “useless”. The next one is scheduled in October 2017.
Currently I’m working on YANC (Yet Another Nixie Clock). It’s a IN-16 based nixie clock, time sync via WLAN/NTP, alarms, timed night mode (switching off HV / tubes to preserver lifetime), alarm melodies from arbitrary .wav files. Display dimming with environmental brightness. Tube backlighting. Settings via webpage (each unit has its own), or per IR controller that comes with the unit.
Here’s what it will look like.
Dimensions: 12cm x 7cm x 2cm (case heigth) / 6cm (incl. tube height). So it is really small. Every body seeing it till now exclaimed “OH, sooo cute. Can I have one?”. Would be a nice marketing punch line. Only that I do not intend to sell it large scale. Or at any scale. However, the product was designed ready for professional manufacturing and assembly, test points, test rig and all, just for the fun of it. I’m still looking for an affordable manufacturer for the Aluminium body, with is machined from a solid block.
I will post pictures of the boards. As I am a new user here (although a regular in Kicad forum) I am restricted to 1 pic per post, so there will be 2 follow up posts.
The project was started with EAGLE and then migrated to KiCad.
1 Like
And here is the promised glimpse on the inner workings, part 1: two tightly stacked boards, one for the MCU and stuff and the other for tube mounting and the HV drivers.
[EDIT] Oh yes: the missing 3D models for some parts are due to my lazyness. Simply wouldn’t go to the trouble and create them 
3 Likes
And here is the promised glimpse on the inner workings, part 2: two tighly stacked boards, one for the MCU and stuff and the other for tube mounting and the HV drivers.
3 Likes
Wow, that looks great! Did you end up needing to model a lot of the 3D yourself?
1 Like
No. That’s why some models are missing: too lazy 
. Those that are here are either KiCad (thanks to Shack, Maui. and some other giants) or from GrabCad, 3dConentCentral, available manufacturer models atl.
As I earned “Basic” right now, I can afford another post. Backside of the MCU board. At left is the SD card holder (you have to imagine that in your mind’s eye. Lazy, remember?).
Reference grade audio ADC and DAC. I’m spending more time trying to decide what should be on the front panel (metering? LEDs or LCD or OLED display? buttons?) than the rest of the design. And that includes working up the clocking.
With audio it seems like there is never enough on the panel, just do it all 
1 Like
Great stuff! The nixie project deserves its own build log
1 Like
Thanks , I came to think the same. Will open up a log thread and migrate the previous posts there.
… Really Soon Now 
I only just learned of this site today from a cross posting on our hacker space about a new tutorial for KiCad circuit design. I haven’t found the tutorial yet, but I did bump into this thread. Many projects that occasionally get worked on. Ones that aren’t pure software are:
Very far behind schedule doing a single phase to three phase power converter for a friend to get an old lathe he purchased up and running,
Experimenting with making 3D printer extruder heads from glass tubing to reduce jams, make it easier to pull cold plastic out, and remove need for thermal insulation between heater at the tip and the mounting to a plastic extruder framework. At the same time trying to finish a Prussa I3, fix a commercial 3D printer from the school of the high school robotics team I mentor.
Making an electronics support board for an Arduino Mega based clipboard robot. I want to build and write a book of ‘experiment’ for programming and modifying robots that aren’t so scary that kids think you need to be a rocket scientist or have a PHD, but still be capable of a wide range of robotic activities, including blinky lights, making the LEDs brighter or dimmer, blending 3 LEDs ti make white. But also motion based experiments like driving in a square, running a maze, following a light, edge detecting a table top to move randomly without falling off, small robotic arm, ultra-sonic range finding, incorporate an axcelerometer/gyro package to improve driving in a square, remote driving with IR remote, etc. I am hoping a kit of 10 to 20 clipboard robots plus 3 to 5 kits of all the extras needed for the more advanced experiments so that a middle school classroom could all learn/experiment together and maybe some will be more excited to go into high school robotics.
I still want to build a working underwater ROV. I was in a competition for several years but never quite got it to work and I would like to prove that I can and have one to play with. It has given me a lot of experience at roll-your-own H-bridge motor drivers.
Occasional thoughts about excessive projects like individually accessible LED lights for winter icicle lights, or flowing 2D pattern LED T-shirts.
Well, that should be more than enough to start!
Mike
Wow, that’s awesome! Tons of ambitious projects there.
Perhaps this was the link your hackerspace was discussing? Which hackerspace was it?
https://contextualelectronics.com/courses/shine-on-you-crazy-kicad/
That is the link. I don’t know how I missed it in the original post. And the hackerspace is HeatSync in Mesa, AZ.
Mike
I am building an automated watering system for my back-deck garden using Particle and Ubidots.
Full project description here.
Comments and suggestions welcomed.
Chip
1 Like
I’m finally wrapping up my last project from Contextual Electronics 2.0 - a highly modified version of CentralCommand.
Two big lessons learned - the first is that I need to include mounting holes “before” finishing the layout - hence that weird border space on the left and right. But the MUCH more important lesson was to not push the fabricator’s limits unless really needed. I found OSH Park’s limits for 4-layer boards and decided to try them all at once, on everything. The result? A 33% yield on the boards, only 2 boards out of two orders (3 boards per order) came out. But OSH Park was sympathetic and helpful. On a positive note, the steel solder stencils from OSH Stencils are fantastic! Now, on to testing so that I can move forward to Contextual Electronics 3.0.
5 Likes
Finishing up a signaling system my brother’s church asked me to make. Buttons make the NeoPixle do different things that allow the control room to communicate with musicians on stage. They have in-ear monitors and intercoms, but they prefer to have a light signal for certain things. This is doing the trick.
Board Assembled
Board working.
Pre-PCB mock-up/test.
Schematic. I know… I know… it’s not great.
KiCad Layout. DON’T JUDGE MEEEEE!!! I’m a hobbyist man… come on…
After seeing/using a proto-type they ordered more. (The word order would suggest I’m getting paid, I assure you I am not. It’s the Lord’s work… you donate that stuff…and there is less liability. )
Just wanted to share.
Brian
4 Likes
Very cool. Some of my schematics are a worse. It’s not our day job.
1 Like