I Built My Own Wi-Fi Nixie Clock (and You Can Too!)

Hi everyone,

I’ve seen a lot of Nixie clocks, and I wanted to make my own (ESP32 + 3D Printing + PCB).

I have some knowledge in Arduino and 3D printing — for the rest, I have to thank GreatScottLab, Cledfo11, Proto G, and jakabo27 for their Instructables.

⚠️ Warning: This project involves high-voltage DC power supply, so please be careful!

Most of the supplies can be found on eBay, Amazon, or at your local electronics shop.

What we’ll need:

1. 6x nixie tube in-14
2. 2x nixie tube in-3
3. 6x k155ID1
4. 3x 74hc595
5. 1x esp32 wroom
6. 6x resistor 10khoms
7. 2x resistor 100khoms
8. 3x capacitor 0,1uf
9. 1x 170V DC Supply
10. 1x DC Input Jack
11. 1x Mini MP1584 DC-DC 3A Adjustable
12. 1x push button
13. 82x nixie pin socket
14. 9x DIP socket 16 pin
15. some pin header
16. pla filament

You can make your own PCB — I used KiCad to design mine. It’s free, and there are lots of tutorials on YouTube explaining how to use it.

This folder contains all the Gerber files for the PCB.

I used the JLCPCB service to manufacture it.

At first, I used an LM2596, but I later switched to the Mini MP1584.

The MP1584 pin header:

1. Input+ → 12V (top)
2. Ground + → both MP1584 Ground
3. Output+ → 5V (bottom)

My layout:

On the top:

IN-14 Nixie tubes, IN-3 Nixie tubes, K155ID1, 74HC595 (with sockets), 10kΩ and 100kΩ resistors

On the bottom:

Female pin headers for the ESP32 Wroom, MP1584, 170V/GND, 12V/GND, push button .

and the 0.1µF capacitors

You can find the Arduino code [here].

On the first boot, the ESP32 will start in AP mode.

You’ll need to configure your Wi-Fi network and time zone.

The ESP32 will then restart, connect to Wi-Fi, and get the time automatically.

The push button controls:

1. Single click: Show the date
2. Double click: Open configuration page
3. Long press: Reset the clock

If you don’t reset the clock on each boot, it will automatically reconnect to Wi-Fi.

I design it on fusion 360 [here] is the step file. if you want to work on it

There are three files:

1. The box
2. The cover
3. The "mode d emploie"(with QR code)

For the first two files:

Use PLA filament, 20% infill, and standard print settings.

For the QR code:

1. Locate the layer where the color change occurs in your slicer preview.
2. Install the “Modify G-Code” extension in Cura (found under Extensions → Post Processing).
3. Add a Filament Change script, and enter the layer number you found.
4. Re-slice the model and send the G-code to your 3D printer.

There are many tutorials online if you need help with this process.