The 'Glassy and Glowy Clock' thread

There has been a few posts scattered in various threads with pics and descriptions of people's clock projects, so I thought I would start a thread where they could all be collated together.

To make comparison easier it would be good if the following basic information was given, as well as whatever else you would like to say to show off your project

Your inspiration to make the clock -
Type of display -
How do you set the time -
Microcontroller used -
Programming language used -
RTC clock chip (if used) -
Any other features or information -

Your project doesn't HAVE to use a VFD/Nixie/etc, if you have a cool design using a LCD or LED display we would love to see it.

So, I'll start -

Your inspiration to make the clock - After copying @rt's work with the LCD Add-on for the Webserver in a Box and seeing Technic's posts in that thread I decided to give VFD displays a go and see if I could make one work.
Type of display - Futaba 11-ST-26A (Jaycar ZD-1880)
How do you set the time - A signal is sent to the serial port of the microcontroller with a "T" followed by the time in unix time_t format. The RTC is then set to this time.
Microcontroller used - ATMEGA328P-PU
Programming language used - C
RTC clock chip (if used) - DS1307
Any other features or information - The DS1307 sucks.





Your inspiration to make the clock - I came across this display when looking through the RS catalogue and decided to get a couple to play around with - http://australia.rs-online.com/web/p/vfd-vacuum-fluorescent-displays/6659803/
Type of display - Futaba M12BY02AA
How do you set the time - Skylab SKM53 GPS module
Microcontroller used - ATMEGA328P-PU
Programming language used - C
RTC clock chip (if used) - DS3232
Any other features or information - Upon power up the clock runs off the RTC until a GPS signal is found. Once a GPS fix is made the RTC is resynced to the GPS every hour. I haven't quite got the fall over of defaulting back to the RTC upon a loss of GPS quite right yet, but working on it. The amber LED indicates that the time is being given from the RTC, the green LED indicates that the time is from the GPS. The DS3232 has an internal temperature sensor so I used that the show the temp as well.







Your inspiration to make the clock - This is meant to be a MKII of the unit above, and I had a Arduino Etherten from Freetronics lying around so I thought I could make a NTP clock, that could also use GPS.
Type of display - Futaba M12BY02AA
How do you set the time - NTP, and GPS
Microcontroller used -ATMEGA328P
RTC clock chip (if used) -DS3232
Any other features or information -To date, dismal failure. The clock will sync with either NTP or GPS, but will not switch between the two when one becomes unavailable. Still working on it.





Your inspiration to make the clock - I came across this display pretty cheaply, so wanted to make a use for it.
Type of display - Noritake itron CU20025ECPB-W1J
How do you set the time - Skylab SKM53 GPS
Microcontroller used - ATMEGA328P on a Arduino Nano board
RTC clock chip (if used) - DS1037
Any other features or information - Housed in the same box as a Raspberry Pi, so I will eventually use the display to show messages from the Pi as well as the Arduino. The clock has a Freetronics temperature / humidity sensor so those values are displayed. The 'G' to the right means a GPS fix, and the '10' means 10 satellites.





And the future projects - man this stuff is addictive, does this rash go away eventually?

 

I have to make a clock one day, one thing I have really yet to do all out.

I bet a mate at work that he couldn't point to point wire up this, and he's the kind of guy that you just need to have some ridiculous idea put in his head and he has to go try it. I need better pictures but this is all I got -





Your inspiration to make the clock - This guy loves completely outlandish ideas
Type of display - Single rectangle LED
How do you set the time - 2 push switches
Microcontroller used - None, just 194 discrete transistors and 566 Diodes
Programming language used - Solder
RTC clock chip (if used) - Mains frequency run
Any other features or information -

 

That's awesome!

Straight to the the category of "Why did I do it? Because I fucking can!"

 

Your inspiration to make the clock - Because Nixie
Type of display - Nixie IN-16
How do you set the time - Buttons
Microcontroller used - PIC16F87x
Programming language used - Unknown
RTC clock chip (if used) - Dallas DS1302
Any other features or information - Turns out it's a Chinese copy of this design: http://www.franktechniek.nl/index.htm It is a through hole kit version that's functionally identical, I'll have to purchase a case from the original designer to finish it off.






Your inspiration to make the clock - Ice Tube displays are cool
Type of display - Russian VFD tube
How do you set the time - Buttons
Microcontroller used - ATmega168
Programming language used - AVR?
RTC clock chip (if used) - N/A
Any other features or information - Just the classic Adafruit Ice Tube Clock.
http://www.ladyada.net/make/icetube/index.html






Your inspiration to make the clock - Round VFD's are cooler than straight ones.
Type of display - Flat Panel VFD
How do you set the time - Buttons
Microcontroller used - PIC16F648A
Programming language used - ?
RTC clock chip (if used) - N/A
Any other features or information - Case looks ok IMO, but it needs glue as the parts are a bit loose fitting. I bought mine as a kit.
http://www.kosbo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=79






Your inspiration to make the clock - Looks cool.
Type of display - LED arrays.
How do you set the time - Buttons
Microcontroller used - ATmega168-20PU
Programming language used - ?
RTC clock chip (if used) - Dallas DS3231SN "Chronodot'
Any other features or information - http://shop.evilmadscientist.com/productsmenu/tinykitlist/156






Your inspiration to make the clock - The anime 'Steins;Gate'
Type of display - Nixie IN-14
How do you set the time - Buttons
Microcontroller used - PIC16F628A
Programming language used - Assembly
RTC clock chip (if used) - Dallas DS1307
Any other features or information - Freaking awesome clock. Mine is 95% done. The top panel components are accurate to the anime (it's a replica) with two double sided PCB's sandwiched inside.
http://www.mindspring.com/~tomtitor/







I still need a CRT clock from an old oscilloscope, and I want to get my hands on some flip-dot displays too.

 

This is the latest. Completed about two weeks ago.

Your inspiration to make the clock - Liked this case
Type of display - 4 ZM1042 Nixie tubes.
How do you set the time - Two switches on the back.
Microcontroller used - Atmel ATMEGA8
Programming language used - C
RTC clock chip (if used) - DS3231
Any other features or information - Basic 24H time, Ambient light sensing for automatic dimming, Cross fades when the time updates



I really need to take some better pics of the others I've done some time. I have a B-7971 based four letter word generator to be completed soon.

 

Don't leave us in suspense mate!

 

Aww man... been meaning to make a Nixie clock for ages, and this thread just batters me over the head with my laziness and lack of motivation.

Some great designs and results in here.

Dev Tools used - Solder wick / more solder

 

I'm waiting on sockets but here's a teaser. These tubes are huge.

 

I was thinking about making a nixie clock as a steampuntk type of thing, but now im heading down the path of brass mechanical skeleton clock... but i want to rig it to a battery powered driver rather than having weights and pendulum

 

I bet they were hard to find. I've only seen a handful of clocks on the net using those.

 

Your inspiration to make the clock - everyone else has nixies, so I want one too
Type of display - Mullard ZM1082
How do you set the time - buttons, but there is a GPS function I'll use later
Microcontroller used - PIC16F1936
Programming language used - C (not programmed by me)
RTC clock chip (if used) - Nil
Any other features or information - This was a kit purchased from www.pvelectronics.co.uk, the tubes were bought separately from ebay.

 

Made some progress on the mechanical side of the B-7971 clock this weekend. Not going to have enough time to finish the electronics for a month or two though.

 

OMFG I want one of them!? How!?

 

If you mean the B-7971's then you'll have to scope out eBay. They are rarely listed these days and fetch triple or more of what I paid four or so years ago. The price has really escalated recently and you may need to be prepared to pay $600+ for a set of four. It's a bit sad really. The sockets have also been hard to get (hence the four year wait for me to use the tubes) so it's a good idea to look for tubes that include them. I have a spare set of four sockets which I'd be happy to supply to anyone who tracks down tubes without them.

If you're after something a bit more modest and reasonably priced then Russian Nixie tubes can still be had on eBay for a few $ each and there are clock kits available from several online shops.

In the mean time, this is the next clock in the queue after the B-7971. Started a while ago. Still glowing orange but quite different. Pinball Clock

 

The IN-12s are still very cheap at about $2 each for small quantities.

Anything VFD is quite cheap but doesn't have the same appeal as nixies.

 

Used when shooting clockwork ducks?

2.

 

Progress!



Now to make it display some select four letter words.

 

That is the sexiest looking clock I have seen for a long while.

Congratulations on it, you haven't wasted the potential of those beautiful nixie tubes.

 

Thanks. I put a bit more effort into the case than usual. It's a good idea for me to get as much of that done before the electronics otherwise I tend to get a bit lazy about it afterwards.

 

Awesome stuff mate. Those tubes are ultra cool.