It has been a long time since producers bothered to make their calculators lovely. They’re utilitarian commodity gadgets and magnificence is a really low precedence most often. And that leaves a niche out there for makers to fill. Oskar did so with this gorgeous handcrafted calculator that contains a show constructed utilizing Soviet IV-12 VFD tubes.
Nixie tubes might obtain many of the consideration due to their very distinctive heat orange glow and curvy digits, however they aren’t the one choice obtainable to makers trying to find a classic look. Prior to now few years, we’ve seen an enormous surge in curiosity in VFD (vacuum fluorescent show) expertise. VFDs are available many varieties, however they usually have a attribute vivid cyan shade that feels classic now that the ‘80s and ‘90s are far sufficient previously. One notably attention-grabbing type is the VFD tube, which encases a multi-segment (usually seven-segment) VFD in a glass tube just like a Nixie tube. For this clock, Oskar used IV-12 VFD tubes that have been manufactured in enormous numbers within the Soviet Union earlier than its collapse.
These tubes function rather a lot like seven-segment LED shows, however with a further pin to allow to complete grid and two pins to warmth up the filament. IV-12 tubes require 25 volts (and 1.5V), however that’s rather a lot higher than Nixie tubes, which regularly require greater than 100V. Due to their similarity to seven-segment shows, Oskar was capable of multiplex the IV-12 tubes and cut back the variety of pins required on the microcontroller. These tubes don’t embody a decimal level phase, however that’s a minor inconvenience in most conditions.
The microcontroller is an ATmega328 on an Arduino Nano board. It reads person enter by means of a customized keyboard made with Cherry MX Brown mechanical key switches and customary key caps. A customized PCB helped to simplify wiring.
The enclosure is attractive wooden and constructed it in an attention-grabbing method that saved some huge cash. Its panels are laser-cut plywood glued collectively, however by itself that ends in field that appears like it’s laser-cut plywood glued collectively. So, Oskar coated your complete exterior in a skinny walnut veneer. That appears nice, and might settle for stain and end. Assembled and powered-on, this calculator is a magnificence.