Nixie Clock Issue - Need Suggestions on how to repair

Thread Starter

seanfox

Joined Mar 21, 2016
14
"Have you checked the power-supply voltages when this problem occurs?" yes and they remained normal.
"If the pic is in a socket what signals are you getting if you swap the pic outputs, or lift the pin out of the socket?" Swap which outputs?
"It seems to reset to zero at 06:47?" Yes at 06:47:43 is when it resets and then continue to do it about every 1min or 2 after that. I think right before this it ran for about 25min. It seems to do ok for about 25-30min before it faults. Which is odd.
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,284
The x10 hour dissappears, swap this with the x1 hour and see if it appears, just wondering if you can do a display test and run through the digits 0-9 on each tube?

Try setting the clock for every hour from 1 to 23, or if its a 12 hour clock 12, and also the minutes 1 to 59, and see when it goes haywire. It could be the pic!


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Thread Starter

seanfox

Joined Mar 21, 2016
14
The x10 hour dissappears, swap this with the x1 hour and see if it appears, just wondering if you can do a display test and run through the digits 0-9 on each tube? All tubes light and show 0 - 9, the x10 hour disappears because there is an option to have it off in the settings so when the PIC initially resets, the settings reset. I can go into the options and set it to be visible without swapping pins.

Try setting the clock for every hour from 1 to 23, or if its a 12 hour clock 12, and also the minutes 1 to 59, and see when it goes haywire. It could be the pic! Good suggestion so the thought is that maybe it just goes crazy when it hits a certain value...


Note, instead of retyping the question message, use the +Quote key,,,or persons name.
 

Thread Starter

seanfox

Joined Mar 21, 2016
14
So it was suggested by the supplier that I change C3 or extend the leads. Not sure that is the issue but I did notice that IC2 and L1 both get very hot to the touch. Also a very low audio high pitch sound is emitting from that general area. I am thinking of ordering IC2 and swapping out. Thoughts? Wondering if it was collateral damage from when one of the tubes was bad...

Circuit.PNG Circuit.PNG
 

Thread Starter

seanfox

Joined Mar 21, 2016
14
So after some thought, I figured that maybe these parts are getting warm due to a poor connection. So I touched up the solder joints on the IC2 and L1. I went ahead and replaced C3 just because. Result is that the parts no longer get warm, and the clock has ran for more than 24hrs without an issue. Case closed.
 
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