Nixie Tube Clock ‘Frank 2 IN-16’
www.pvelectronics.co.uk
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1
About the clock
Nixie clock type ‘Frank 2’ is a compact design with all components
and tubes mounted on a single PCB. The efficient use of board
space is achieved by using a multiplex design to drive the display
tubes. Only a single high-voltage binary-to-decimal decoder IC
(74141) is required, and each tube is switched on in sequence very
quickly to give the illusion that all the tubes are actually lit.
The tubes are type IN-16 with a digit height of 13mm. These tubes
are Russian in origin and were produced during the 1980’s and
1990’s, when the technology was at it’s most advanced. It is
expected that the tubes will last for many years and should not
need replacing.
1.2
Clock Features
Nixie clock type ‘Frank 2’ has the following features:
- Hours, Minutes and Seconds display
- Uses the mains AC as the timebase
- Selectable to work with 50Hz (Europe) or 60Hz (Americas)
- Simple time setting using two buttons
- 12 or 24 hour modes
- 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 make small adjustments /
precisely set time
- Infintely programmable night time blanking period to save tubes.
- Separate modes for colon neons during night time blanking
- Four display modes: Dim, Bright, Fading digits, Blanked
- Ten different possible fade speeds in fading digit mode
