Tag Archives: nixie tubes

Clever PCB Module Lets You Power Nixie Tubes on Arduino PCs with Ease

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Nixie tubes, also known as “cold cathode displays,” were once commonplace in electronic devices, particularly in the mid-20th century. These glass tubes, filled with a noble gas like neon, emit a warm, orange glow when an electric current passes through them. They were used to display numbers, letters, and symbols in an era before LED and LCD screens took over.

In recent years, nixie tubes have experienced a resurgence in popularity, captivating the hearts of enthusiasts and designers alike. Keen-eyed enthusiasts will remember seeing these tubes in Oppenheimer, in the limited HBO series Chernobyl, and even briefly in Netflix teen drama Wednesday. There’s something just beautiful about how steampunk these tubes look and it isn’t surprising that people are looking to bring them back (at least culturally!) However, it isn’t as easy as plugging a Nixie tube into a USB port – the old technology requires high voltage and needs to be used rather delicately to work flawlessly. Enter EasyNixie, an Arduino-compatible low-voltage nixie tube driver module designed to make integrating nixie tubes into your creations more accessible than ever.

Designer: Aleksei Karavaev

Click Here to Buy Now: $26 (Single PCB Module) Hurry! Only 36 hours left!

EasyNixie serves as the conduit between the vintage allure of Nixie tubes and the contemporary convenience of Arduino compatibility. It’s a thoughtfully designed module that invites creators of all levels to dive into a world filled with inventive possibilities. At the core of EasyNixie’s appeal is its stackability feature, a clever solution that provides a much easier alternative to the confusing maze of wires that most Nixie tubes have running behind them. By allowing multiple Nixie displays to connect using a minimal amount of data pins, EasyNixie paves the way for intricate and creative designs without the hassle of tangled wires… and while traditional Nixie tubes are known for their high-voltage demands, EasyNixie takes a step in a new direction by operating efficiently at low voltages, as low as 3.3V to be precise. It takes on the complexities of voltage conversion, simplifying the power supply setup, which is a breath of fresh air for many creators.

The user-friendly design makes the EasyNixie perfect for Arduino-enthusiasts looking to get in on the steampunk action. Providing an Arduino library along with a suite of examples, it streamlines the process of interfacing with nixie tubes, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users. This feature shifts the focus squarely onto creativity, ensuring a smoother journey from idea to execution. Moreover, the compatibility of EasyNixie is a robust highlight, designed to mesh seamlessly with various popular Nixie tube models including IN-12A, IN-12B, IN-15A, IN-15B, IN-17, and more. This versatile attribute opens up a realm of possibilities for projects, giving you the freedom to choose the perfect tube to align with your vision. The PCB module is also designed keeping safety in mind. High voltages can often lead to high heat, which is why EasyNixie has features like thermal shutdown protection and safety fuses, ensuring the smooth and secure operation of your projects.

EasyNixie is the brainchild of Aleksei Karavaev, an electronics enthusiast deeply passionate about microcontroller programming. “I have been fascinated by nixie tubes ever since I discovered what they are,” Karavaev mentions. “So strange, so old school, so ‘warm’. Unfortunately, they are also hard to control and can be dangerous if not handled properly.” EasyNixie was born as a means to help make working with Nixie tubes easy again. Technology either becomes consumer-friendly or becomes obsolete and for the longest time, Nixie tubes sat in the latter category. The $26 PCB module changes that perception, allowing you to hook your vintage Nixie tubes to tiny Arduino PCs and make a variety of fun gadgets, from clocks and multimeters to funky displays that show your YouTube or IG subscribers in real-time… or if you’re still on the crypto train, the current price of Bitcoin!

Click Here to Buy Now: $26 (Single PCB Module) Hurry! Only 36 hours left!

Click Here to Buy Now: $26 (Single PCB Module) Hurry! Only 36 hours left!

The post Clever PCB Module Lets You Power Nixie Tubes on Arduino PCs with Ease first appeared on Yanko Design.

This tabletop clock with 4 LCD screens is a modern reinterpretation of the retro Nixie tube clock

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With different visual themes to choose from you can make the Eleks X4 Simulation Clock display the time in regular numbers, LEGO brick numbers, and even Nixie-tube-style glowing coil numbers!

The only thing missing on the Eleks X4 is support for Alexa (maybe that’s why the clock isn’t called Eleksa?)

Designed to look like a retro-modern clock with Nixie tube displays, the Eleks X4 Simulation Clock actually packs 4 LCD screens encased in glass chambers. The clock offers as many as 20 different themes to choose from and can be controlled by plugging it into a PC via the USB-C connection on the back. To set the time or configure an alarm, brass knobs built into the Eleks X4 Simulation Clock allow you to access basic and traditional controls.

Designer: EleksMaker

The Eleks X4 Simulation Clock sports a simple design, with a black and white body. While most Nixie tube devices were either made from metal or wood, or a steampunk combination of both, the Eleks X4’s style feels much more contemporary – sort of designed to blend well into your IKEA-heavy home, on your bedside table or workdesk.

The clock’s most delightful part, however, is its 4-piece LCD display system that has its own set of themes to choose from. For the retro-enthusiast, the clock’s Nixie theme (below) is the ideal choice, but for kids and LEGO-nerds, a brick-based numeric system offers a rather unique aesthetic alternative. There are a total of 20 themes to choose from (you can get a better picture of what the themes are in this separate video reviewing a similar clock from EleksTube), and you can even design your own themes and upload them through the PC software. (Want to replace the numbers with tiny photographs? Sure! NFTs? Probably!)

The Eleks X4 Simulation Clock is available for pre-order on Drop starting at $85. Shipping begins September 9th, 2022.

The post This tabletop clock with 4 LCD screens is a modern reinterpretation of the retro Nixie tube clock first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Nixie clock and radio with a Hi-Fi speaker is for audiophiles who savor pure vintage!

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In times when we all are so accustomed to platter-served music on our cloud streaming services like Spotify or Tidal, the good old radio is the nostalgic detour we need to refresh our mind, body, and soul. Combine that with a steampunk flavor of vintage Nixie tubes + brass trims, and you’ve got a beautiful little box ready to take you on a melodic journey.

The Retio brings the antique 90’s essence of eye-catchy Nixie tubes and the golden appeal of radio listening for people who value retro things in their modern form. Handcrafted in San Francisco Bay Area with profound attention to detail, the radio clock is crafted from American black walnut. It’s embellished with 360 brass dials and corner trims to give it that cool steampunk appeal. The IN-12 Nixie tubes used in each one of these units are sourced from genuine vintage stock collected in the 90s. That single bit makes the Retio unique in its own rights. For audiophiles who appreciate sublime quality, Retio is the one to have in your living room or bedroom. That’s because it comes with support for AUX and Bluetooth connectivity with a Hi-Fi speaker module that is pure bliss for the ears.

Add to that the clock functionality and you are all prepared to get rid of your desk clock, vintage AM/FM radio, and portable speaker for this beautiful piece of vintage accessory. The light from the glowing Nixie tubes will suffice your need to warmly illuminate the corner of your room, so it’s another added advantage of sporting this in your home interiors. I already can’t get enough of this timeless radio clock, can you?

Designer: Retio

Click Here to Buy Now: $349

Let’s play Steampunk Chess!

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Nixie tubes used to be considered a dying art, but if the recent trend of Nixie watches and clocks we’ve seen on Yanko Design provide any indication, it is that retro will always be in demand! However, the Nixie Chess Set takes the cake for being by far the coolest looking product to be given a Nixie-upgrade.

Not one, not two, not even four, but rather thirty two Nixie Tubes sit atop this grand chess board, each painstakingly and manually crafted to represent a signature chess-piece. The conductive chess board supplies power to the Nixie chess pieces. When the pieces are lifted upward, they switch off, but as soon as they are placed back on the checkered chess board, they light up with that warm glow that Nixie enthusiasts love! The tubes look the same, but are differentiated by their symbols, as well as the wooden bases. The lighter bases are white chess pieces, the darker one are consecutively the black pieces.

At its price tag, the chess set is clearly for the Analog enthusiast. However, if you’re a Nixie lover who doesn’t want to cough up that kind of money, there’s a DIY Nixie Chess kit available for $250 (less than half the price) for you to tinker with and build on your own. I’m guessing it’s well worth the effort though!

Designer: Anthony Adams (Lasermad)

BUY IT HERE: $639.20

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Nixie Tube Chess Board Looks Old-Timey, Super Awesome

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By David Ponce

The nice thing about doing things yourself is that you’re not constrained by the ROI considerations of the mass market channels. You can create anything you want and with a bit of talent you can end up with something like the above. It’s a Nixie tube chess set created by one “Tony” and features 80′s Soviet-era tubes with scientific symbols displayed on them. What’s especially nice about it is that it’s all induction-based, meaning the tubes light up when deposited on the board, but there’s no wires anywhere on the tubes, making them true chess pieces. Well of course aside from the fact that you’re going to have to learn which symbol represents which piece, but that’s trivial to the amount of effort you’ll have to put in if you decide to build your own. Turns out Tony is preparing a DIY kit, though he warns that “This is not a project for beginners – it makes extensive use of surface mount components. Expect to spend up to a week of your spare time on it depending on experience and patience.” There’s no mention of price or availability anywhere but you can keep track of things at the link below.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ The Verge ]