Useful project for this construction:
The board was made in thermal transfer method, after reprocessing the assembly scheme in Linux Paint equivalent. Paths were moved by inserting the board and print on the film between two metal plates screwed, which were put to the electric oven with adjustable temperature. The lamp board was reprocessed. Stands for the lamps were replaced with 12-pin headers. The same was made with the space for neon, additionally the resistor was removed into a place of one bridge.
The boards of the clock did not fit, iron method was used. If they do not move ideally, it is possible to fix them with a marker. Then the components were etched and soldered. In order to simplify the work, you can stick the printed mounting scheme on the main board.
After connecting to the voltage 9V, the converter should work properly, and 250V should be received on HV pins. Voltage up to 135V.
A cable connects the lamp base with the board. After inserting PIC, plugging one lamp, neon and the power supply, everything should work.
The housing was made of MDF plate 12mm thick, but 8mm is also sufficient. Lamps, neon and buttons were screwed from the inside (lamps in their stands, the rest on pieces of laminate). Supply socket was placed outside the housing. To have easy access to the electronics, it is recommended not to adhere the lower housing wall. It was put a bit deeper into the device, in the middle (corners) of which some wooden blocks with holes drilled were glued. The bottom can be thus loosen at any time. Similar blocks were used to screw the plates. Only two corners were screwed, the opposite edge clung enough on the headers. The plates were screwed using angles to the removable bottom part of the housing. The whole was covered with veneer.
Program in Assembler requires some modifications so the clock is punctual.
Link to original thread (useful attachment) –
Oszczedna wersja zegara Nixie na PIC16F84 by pimap