4035

Nixie night clock with alarm with motion sensor to show the time during the night

Yes, another nixie clock. However, that one is for a specific first target: See the time during the night.
 For long time, I wanted to develop an night alarm clock on nixie based. My original requirements was:
 -  Must be light OFF during the night as I do not like some light in bedroom during the night
 - Easy to switch ON and see the time during short period of time
 - Number must be large enough because of strong myopa...

 Using a previous design (clock / thermometer), I kept some part and adaped it for vertical tubes, some QS18 bought in China.
 The main features are:
 - 4 QS18 with brightness adjustable regarding the ambiant light
 - Using GPS receiver for automatic time setting
 - Movement detection over the clock to display the time (during the night) or display temperature during the day
 - Some color LED under the tubes for warmer rendering
 - Compatible with the sensors I developed before, outside sensor (solar power) or inside temperature sensor
 - If no external sensor, display internal temperature only
 - Smooth and progressive "bip" alarm

Technical hardware description:

- uC moved to the PIC 18F4520 due to more I/O needed
- HT still with MC34063
- Tubes managed through old 7441
- PWM for brightness adjustment
- Use of special sensor for ambiant light measurement and proximity sensor. I used the VCLN4040, I2C sensor in pulling mode.
- External sensor still communicate through the RFM12 module
- On the PCB, I plan to use an ESP32 and a PCF2219 as RTC. But so far, it is not usefull, so not implemented
- Backup battery plan. Will keep running the uC but not the Nixie display
- Buzzer for the alarm
- 2 set of LED for tube illumination (blue or orange)
- Clock temperature measured with DS18S20
- GPS module under 5V
- 3 different power there: 180v, 5v, 3v3

Software features:
- Default display is time. Use the dot of one tune as second indicator
- When ambiant light is too low, the display stopped
- When the hand is moving above the clock, display move to temperature display (day mode) or display time (night mode)
- Another move will display the external outside sensor and battery level, then max and min outside temperature
- Alarm time selected and display by another tube dot
- If the time didn t receive GPS signal within hours, another tube dot will light up
- Alarm is with progressive number of bip, to have smooth wake up...
- As an option, can choose to havepermanent time display (even during the night) and selection of led tubes light (yes or no, during day or/and night)
- Calibration of the PS (proximity sensor) regularely (in case). ambiant sensor calibration which depend of the casing color can be done just at first start

The casing is design under 3D drawing and print with a 3D printer.     

Please note that this schematic has some issues. Please refer to the new version of the clock, the V2...

  So far, all is working well. During the night, I just slide my hand above the clock and it's display the time. Just what I need.

   Laurent