Introduction: Nixie Clock

By Greek Inventors
About: The Greek Inventors is a small group - team of two people (Theodoros Kosmidis and George Kourtidis), passionate about technology, living their vision. Creating technology constructions, such as electronics and…

This is our Nixie Clock made with atmega 328

We all know these wonderful old lamps (Nixie). It is time to re-use them! so we made this nixie clock. We are Greek Inventors and you will find us here: Greek Inventors WebPage.

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Step 1: Materials

The list ... honestly is huge. (I am joking).


Surely we need 6 nixie tubes.
1 x power supply for nixie tubes (~ 170v dc from 5v boost converter).
6 x chip driver for nixie tubes (74141 or K155NA1).
3 x chip shift register (74hc595).
1 x atmega 328.
8 x LED blue.
Some push buttons, a simple power supply 5v-2A dc.

Last we need a RTC (Real Time Clock) DS2231S

Step 2: Power - Boost Converter 170v Dc

A simple circuit with the IC 555. A 170v booster from the 5v to feed the nixie tubes.

1 x 555
1 x bc547
1 x IRF740
1 x coil 100uH
1 x diode UF4004
1 x 4u7/200V
1 x 470u/15V
1 x 2n2
1 x 100p
1 x 220K
1 x 2K2
1 x 10K
1 x 1K
1 x Pot. 1K

Step 3: RTC - Real Time Clock DS2231s and Temperature Ds18b20 PCB

We decide to use the ds2231s for the time and date, we also put the temperature sensor ds18b20.

Step 4: Connection 74141 and Nixie Tube PCB

We make the right connections, based on the manuals and testing the nixie tubes.

Step 5: 74hc595 Shift Register Connection PCB

We make the right connections. Based on manuals.

Step 6: All Together

And we finally connect everything together. We also connect the atmega board and after we have programmed it, we are ready!

Step 7: Delicate Box

Finally a box is needed. But it should remind something of an old age ... something retro. That's why we made this fantastic wooden box.