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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : PicoMite Nixie Clock (almost)
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| Bleep Guru  Joined: 09/01/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 786 |
Hi, Here is my take on a Nixie Clock for a PicoMite, Both for a 480x320 LCD and a HDMI VGA, It might be ok on a standard VGA, I have not tried it, I have also not tested it on a 2040 Pico. VGA Version  Short video of it working. LCD Version  Short Video of it working. Both versions ziped up. nixie.zip Regards Kevin. Edited 2026-03-11 06:21 by Bleep |
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| toml_12953 Guru Joined: 13/02/2015 Location: United StatesPosts: 602 |
In the jpg file, all the digits look fine but when the program runs, the 4 and the 9 don't display properly in the minutes column. Edited 2026-03-11 11:32 by toml_12953 |
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| ville56 Guru Joined: 08/06/2022 Location: AustriaPosts: 450 |
toml_12953, I've done some optimisation (brightness, contrast, color depth, size) on the fonts. I use the .bmp to load. All 3 fonts do work with BLIT commands (.bmp files) without a hitch. Difference is, that I'm loading the fonts onto 6 individual LCD displays and you use a single one. If I find time I will also try to setup a similar environment like yours and see if I can reproduce the issue. Nixie-Fonts.zip Just give them a try Gerald N.B.; I'm still fiddling around with my software. Now try to get DCF77 working, but I'm here on the edge of the indoor receiving range (Vienna/Austria) and so I'm currently working on an "extension" via 433MHz ISM band. Edited 2026-03-11 17:48 by ville56 73 de OE1HGA, Gerald |
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| Bleep Guru Joined: 09/01/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 786 |
Hi Toml When you say the 4 & 9 don't display properly, what exactly do you mean? What picomite are you using? You do realise this will only work on a HDMI VGA or a 480x320 LCD & not tested on a RP2040 which may not have enough memory. |
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Martin H. Guru Joined: 04/06/2022 Location: GermanyPosts: 1447 |
Hi Kevin Looks realy good on HDMI,  but will not run on 2040 (no Mode 3)So you can lower the resolution to 320x240 (Mode 2) reduse your source to BW (mode 1) Good Job Cheers Martin 'no comment |
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| ville56 Guru Joined: 08/06/2022 Location: AustriaPosts: 450 |
RP2040 doesn't have HDMI at all ... do you mean VGA? 73 de OE1HGA, Gerald |
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| Bleep Guru Joined: 09/01/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 786 |
Hi Martin, I can try re-sizing to fit 320x240, but I think the images will become too small, one option might be to only show Hours & Minutes. While you are here, on a LCD The JPGs are full colour, and I am placing the Jpg of the Nixie tubes on to a Framebuffer layer, but they are limited in colour range, do you know, if I put the JPG onto the normal screen temporarily, then copy each digit to BLIT buffers, assuming there is enough memory, which I think there is not, do the BLIT buffers have a higher colour count, ie same as the screen in use, or they similarly colour depth limited. Thanks. Kevin. Edited 2026-03-11 22:08 by Bleep |
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phil99 Guru Joined: 11/02/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3156 |
Yes, maintains all the colours. |
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| Martin H. Guru Joined: 04/06/2022 Location: GermanyPosts: 1447 |
Kevin I reduced the template by half, so it should fit in Mode 2. See which version you like better.   Cheers Martin Edited 2026-03-11 22:59 by Martin H. 'no comment |
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| Bleep Guru Joined: 09/01/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 786 |
Hi Martin, I have already done this myself, but there seems to be a problem with Blit Framebuffer, in hight colour modes, or I'm not using it right, so I've escelated it. :-) Regards, Kevin. |
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| Martin H. Guru Joined: 04/06/2022 Location: GermanyPosts: 1447 |
This is mode 2 colours, i.e. RGB 121, no high colour Modes required. Meant for the 2040 Pico VGA. Blit Framebuffer works as intended.  Edited 2026-03-12 04:36 by Martin H. 'no comment |
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| Bleep Guru Joined: 09/01/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 786 |
Ok thanks Martin, I'll do a version using your bitmaps. Thanks, Kevin. |
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| Bleep Guru Joined: 09/01/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 786 |
Hi Martin, Attached is a new version of the VGA Mode 2 320x240 Nixie Clock, using your images, both sets are in the code, just change the commented out line. I couldn't use the PNG directly, not enough memory, so I changed them to BMP. I have included my 3 Nixie sets, as JPG, could you let me know how and what programs you use to reduce the colours to less than 16, and using the 121 colour set? also is it possible to reduce the brightness/contrast, so there are fewer random orange dots around/in the converted image? I only really use IrfanView and PhotoShop CS2, but if you recommend one I'm happy to install it. Regards, Kevin. nixie.zip |
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| Martin H. Guru Joined: 04/06/2022 Location: GermanyPosts: 1447 |
Hi Kevin, to draw, you can use whichever tool you feel most comfortable with. As I've mentioned a few times before, I use Paint.net To get the images exactly to RGB 121 for the Pico, I use a few tools 1/2 I wrote myself in MMBasic for Windows. Which one I use always depends on the source and what you want to use the image for. BTW: the PicomiteVGA Nixie-Version(Mode 2) runs and looks fine Have Fun Cheers Martin Edited 2026-03-13 16:50 by Martin H. 'no comment |
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| Bleep Guru Joined: 09/01/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 786 |
Presumably that now means it will work on a standard 2040 VGA as the 16 colours are the same and it now use less ram. Edited 2026-03-13 19:56 by Bleep |
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| Martin H. Guru Joined: 04/06/2022 Location: GermanyPosts: 1447 |
I just tried it, but unfortunately it doesn't work on the standard 2040 VGA... [19] Blit Read 6,0,110,51,110 Error : Not enough Heap memory You could work around this by,instead of storing the numbers in sprites, initializing the framebuffer first, load the Image there and then blitting the segments from the framebuffer F to N. BLIT FRAMEBUFFER from, to, xin, yin, xout, yout, width, height Edited 2026-03-14 01:14 by Martin H. 'no comment |
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