May 24, 2019 at 00:55Nixie clock on indicators IN-18
Hello.
Probably, many have heard about watches on gas discharge indicators. In this article I will try to talk about the process of making such a watch with your own hands.
You can do it yourself using the LUT method or photoresist. There is a lot of information on the Internet with step-by-step descriptions of the process of manufacturing boards in these ways. I would not waste time, although I myself made boards in this way including this watch. If there is no experience, it will turn out not the first time and not the best quality. You will also need to buy textolite, reagents, paper for LUT (or buy a photoresist with a film for the projector and an ultraviolet lamp). Then you need to tin, drill, apply a mask, make silkscreen for convenience, all this is not cheap.
Therefore, it is better to order the factory production of multilayer boards with a mask and silk-screen printing. This can be done in Russia, but it will be expensive.
Can be ordered on AliExpress. It is not difficult to do, you need to find such a service on the site and send your file to the mail (indicate in the description of the product). In response to invoice. You need to pay on AliExpress, like a regular product, but the cost will need to be increased in accordance with the invoice, increasing the number of positions in the order. Wait and track like a regular order. The cost of the sellers is different, I got about 2500r for 11 boards with delivery.
It seems to me that the cheapest option is to order on the JLCPCB website. You will need to register, upload the archive with the gerbera file to the order page, select the necessary parameters (or leave everything as default), pay and wait).
The price of five boards for watches with delivery will be about 1000 rubles. (200 rubles for 1 pc.), 10 boards are approximately 1200 rubles. (120 rubles for 1 pc). And it will be two-layer boards with silk-screen printing, a mask and with metallization of holes that are made in a quality manner at the factory.
I have two versions of the clock in my order (one with anode keys on ordinary transistors and the other on optocouplers) and a board for assembling a phono stage for 6n9s.
The most expensive are the IN-18 gas-discharge indicators, the average cost of 2000 rubles, you can buy on Avito. About 5-7 years ago, the price for them was 200-350r rubles (judging by the forums).
After searching, I found the manufacturer of gas-discharge indicators daliborfarny.com, the cost of a lamp similar to in-18 is $ 145.
On his YouTube channel Dalibor Farný there are interesting videos with the complete process of lamp production.
The remaining radio components are not uncommon and you can buy them at any radio store. I bought chip resistors and capacitors in kits on AliExpress. I also bought a real-time chip on AliExpress in the form of a module with quartz and a battery.
I used HK-MECHANIC-XG-Z40 (also bought on AliExpress) and a soldering hair dryer as solder for the microcontroller and some components.
Connectors for lamps can be made, for example, from contacts DPBS-25F. The microcontroller and the DS1307 clock should be soldered after assembling and checking the 5V and 170V power supplies. You can set the voltage by changing the resistance values.
The process is not very complicated, the components on the board are all signed. My assembly took about 3 hours.
At this stage, you need a programmer, you can also buy it on AliExpress for 120 rubles or in the radio store, but it will be more expensive.
We solder the programmer contacts to the assembled board (miso, mosi, rst, sck, gnd, + 5V).
Then you can use for example avrdudeprog, this is a software shell for MK firmware.
Run the program. On the program tab, select the atmega 8 microcontroller, select the firmware, usbars programmer. On the fuses tab, set the fuses D9xD4.
Press the programming button.
The first building. Made from aluminum, but any material can be used. It is assembled from 6 plates cut by a laser. Connect with each other "in a thorn".
Then you can polish or polish along the guide, as in the photo. Laser cutting and material will cost about 1500r. There are many companies involved in laser cutting, it is not difficult to find. I made similar cases from steel and used them as screens for the output and power transformers of the amplifier.
The second option. Also made of aluminum, by milling from a single piece, but you can probably make wooden.
Consists of two parts. The design and dimensions can be changed, I will add a file for AutoCAD (the case file for the previous version of the board, the holes for the buttons and the battery do not match).
This is the most expensive option and as for me it is the most beautiful. The cost of such work is very different for different companies, ranging from 28000r. up to 7000r. for one piece
The third option. Epoxy housing. This option is the hardest. I used super mold 10 silicone and artline epoxy.
First you need to make the silicone shape of the body milled from aluminum. We glue the aluminum model to the base, we make the sides, we coat all the joints with sealant.
After we dilute the silicone in accordance with the instructions and fill the model.
Next, we dilute the epoxy resin and fill the resulting form. The case is ready the next day.
If desired, you can add a variety of dyes for the resin. For the manufacture of a housing with a quality higher, it is better to use a vacuum chamber and a pump.
The goals of organizing mass production were not set. Did as a gift.
I do not have much experience, there are borrowings from other similar projects and maybe there are mistakes.
Archive with
instagram files
Video
Everything, thank you for your attention!
Probably, many have heard about watches on gas discharge indicators. In this article I will try to talk about the process of making such a watch with your own hands.
First step. Printed circuit board
You can do it yourself using the LUT method or photoresist. There is a lot of information on the Internet with step-by-step descriptions of the process of manufacturing boards in these ways. I would not waste time, although I myself made boards in this way including this watch. If there is no experience, it will turn out not the first time and not the best quality. You will also need to buy textolite, reagents, paper for LUT (or buy a photoresist with a film for the projector and an ultraviolet lamp). Then you need to tin, drill, apply a mask, make silkscreen for convenience, all this is not cheap.
Therefore, it is better to order the factory production of multilayer boards with a mask and silk-screen printing. This can be done in Russia, but it will be expensive.
Can be ordered on AliExpress. It is not difficult to do, you need to find such a service on the site and send your file to the mail (indicate in the description of the product). In response to invoice. You need to pay on AliExpress, like a regular product, but the cost will need to be increased in accordance with the invoice, increasing the number of positions in the order. Wait and track like a regular order. The cost of the sellers is different, I got about 2500r for 11 boards with delivery.
It seems to me that the cheapest option is to order on the JLCPCB website. You will need to register, upload the archive with the gerbera file to the order page, select the necessary parameters (or leave everything as default), pay and wait).
The price of five boards for watches with delivery will be about 1000 rubles. (200 rubles for 1 pc.), 10 boards are approximately 1200 rubles. (120 rubles for 1 pc). And it will be two-layer boards with silk-screen printing, a mask and with metallization of holes that are made in a quality manner at the factory.
I have two versions of the clock in my order (one with anode keys on ordinary transistors and the other on optocouplers) and a board for assembling a phono stage for 6n9s.
Second step. With the boards sorted out. Need to order radio parts
The most expensive are the IN-18 gas-discharge indicators, the average cost of 2000 rubles, you can buy on Avito. About 5-7 years ago, the price for them was 200-350r rubles (judging by the forums).
After searching, I found the manufacturer of gas-discharge indicators daliborfarny.com, the cost of a lamp similar to in-18 is $ 145.
On his YouTube channel Dalibor Farný there are interesting videos with the complete process of lamp production.
The remaining radio components are not uncommon and you can buy them at any radio store. I bought chip resistors and capacitors in kits on AliExpress. I also bought a real-time chip on AliExpress in the form of a module with quartz and a battery.
Third step. Board assembly
I used HK-MECHANIC-XG-Z40 (also bought on AliExpress) and a soldering hair dryer as solder for the microcontroller and some components.
Connectors for lamps can be made, for example, from contacts DPBS-25F. The microcontroller and the DS1307 clock should be soldered after assembling and checking the 5V and 170V power supplies. You can set the voltage by changing the resistance values.
The process is not very complicated, the components on the board are all signed. My assembly took about 3 hours.
Fourth step. Firmware
At this stage, you need a programmer, you can also buy it on AliExpress for 120 rubles or in the radio store, but it will be more expensive.
We solder the programmer contacts to the assembled board (miso, mosi, rst, sck, gnd, + 5V).
Then you can use for example avrdudeprog, this is a software shell for MK firmware.
Run the program. On the program tab, select the atmega 8 microcontroller, select the firmware, usbars programmer. On the fuses tab, set the fuses D9xD4.
Press the programming button.
Fifth step. Body
The first building. Made from aluminum, but any material can be used. It is assembled from 6 plates cut by a laser. Connect with each other "in a thorn".
Then you can polish or polish along the guide, as in the photo. Laser cutting and material will cost about 1500r. There are many companies involved in laser cutting, it is not difficult to find. I made similar cases from steel and used them as screens for the output and power transformers of the amplifier.
The second option. Also made of aluminum, by milling from a single piece, but you can probably make wooden.
Consists of two parts. The design and dimensions can be changed, I will add a file for AutoCAD (the case file for the previous version of the board, the holes for the buttons and the battery do not match).
This is the most expensive option and as for me it is the most beautiful. The cost of such work is very different for different companies, ranging from 28000r. up to 7000r. for one piece
The third option. Epoxy housing. This option is the hardest. I used super mold 10 silicone and artline epoxy.
First you need to make the silicone shape of the body milled from aluminum. We glue the aluminum model to the base, we make the sides, we coat all the joints with sealant.
After we dilute the silicone in accordance with the instructions and fill the model.
Next, we dilute the epoxy resin and fill the resulting form. The case is ready the next day.
If desired, you can add a variety of dyes for the resin. For the manufacture of a housing with a quality higher, it is better to use a vacuum chamber and a pump.
The goals of organizing mass production were not set. Did as a gift.
I do not have much experience, there are borrowings from other similar projects and maybe there are mistakes.
Archive with
instagram files
Video
Everything, thank you for your attention!