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NixieClockRaspberryPi

With mods by Leon Shaner

Simple Nixie Tubes Clock Based on RaspberryPi, adapter and NCS314 shield for Arduino (by GRA and AFCH) A simple program that show the current system time at the Nixie tubes.

NOTE: Works with NCS314 v2.x or NCS312; has not been tested with newer models (as of 19 February 2021).

Major features of the Shaner mods:

  1. Use the system RTC by default (e.g. rely on NTP for more accurate time).
  2. Option to display 12-hour or 24-hour for the hour digits.
  3. Repurpose MODE button to toggle fireworks on/off.
  4. Repurpose UP/DOWN buttons to increase/decrease the fireworks cycle speed.
  5. Command-line parsing to choose preferred options without recompile.
  6. Re-wrote makefile for proper handling of binary rebuild any time the sources are modified.

Wiringpi library

Before doing the build instructions below follow these steps to install the wiringpi library as it is no longer included in repos as of Bookworm

  1. Download the most recent precompiled armhf binary from https://github.com/WiringPi/WiringPi/releases: curl -L -o wiringpi_3.2_arm64.deb https://github.com/WiringPi/WiringPi/releases/download/3.2/wiringpi_3.2_arm64.deb
  2. Run: sudo apt install ./wiringpi_3.2_arm64.deb

Required hardware:

  1. Raspberry Pi any models with 40-pin GPIO connector (Except A and B models).
  2. Arduino to Raspberry Pi adapter (by GRA & AFCH): https://gra-afch.com/catalog/shield-nixie-clock-for-arduino/raspberry-pi-shield-nixie-tubes-clock-ncs314-for-in-14-nixie-tubes-options-tubes-gps-remote-arduino-columns-copy/
  3. Arduino Nixie Clock Shield NCS314 (v1.2, v2.x): https://gra-afch.com/catalog/shield-nixie-clock-for-arduino/nixie-tubes-clock-arduino-shield-ncs314-for-xussr-in-14-nixie-tubes/

How to build:

  1. Download and unzip.

  2. Enable SPI module in the "Raspberry Pi Configuration": https://photos.app.goo.gl/vH7DtG9nwMzJHwvP2 2.1) or CLI way "sudo raspi-config": https://photos.app.goo.gl/wfoPd8CNLSlJ0bF83

  3. cd into .../DisplayNixie/src

  4. Run 'make'

  5. Binary will be placed at .../DisplayNixie/bin/DisplayNixie, a la: /nixie/NixieClockRaspberryPi-shaner/DisplayNixie/bin/DisplayNixie

Сommand line options (shaner mods):

  • USAGE: DisplayNixie -- Use system clock in 12-hour mode.
  • DisplayNixie nosysclock -- use Nixie clock (e.g. not NTP assisted).
  • DisplayNixie 24hour -- use 24-hour mode.
  • DisplayNixie fireworks -- enable fireworks.

NOTE: Any combination/order of above arguments is allowed.

Run-time options (shaner mods):

  • MODE Button: Toggle fireworks on/off
  • UP Button: Speed up fireworks color-rotation
  • DOWN Button: Slow down fireworks color-rotation

Autorun the program at startup:

  1. Edit the provided nixie.service template to reflect the full path down to your binary:

NOTE: Fix the path on the following line in nixie.service to match your binary location.

ExecStart=/nixie/NixieClockRaspberryPi-shaner/DisplayNixie/bin/DisplayNixie

  1. Copy your customized nixie.service into the /etc/systemd/system directory:
  • $ sudo cp nixie.service /etc/systemd/system
  1. Reload the systemd state and start the nixie service:
  • $ sudo systemctl daemon-reload
  • $ sudo systemctl enable nixie
  • $ sudo systemctl start nixie

NOTE: The systemd will auto-start DisplayNixie whenever the system is booted.

  1. To stop and/or restart the nixie binary at any time:
  • $ sudo systemctl stop nixie
  • $ sudo systemctl restart nixie