Hello -
My son and I have built the clock, passing every test along the way. We have the correct voltages and beeps however, on final assembly, the display has random segments illuminated. Pushing the menu button changes which segments are lit, one even seems to count as the segments change every second. I have double-checked that all of the components are aligned correctly, that the chips' pin 1s are in the right location, that there are no shorts and that the tube's three unused wires are lined up to the 'Display-NC' on the pcb. I have even resoldered all the components to make sure there were no opens. My clock looks just like the pictures in the build-to. Any ideas? My final thought may be that the VFD boost chip got scrambled by the x-ray that my mail goes through (I live overseas). Thanks in advance for you thoughts.
ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
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Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.
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Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
please post an image with what the display is showing
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- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:46 pm
Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
This is a time-lapse photo because the light is so dim it wouldn't be photo-graphable otherwise.
It looks something like this:
_ _ _ _
| | |_ | | |_| _|
| |. | |. | . | |. |
It looks something like this:
_ _ _ _
| | |_ | | |_| _|
| |. | |. | . | |. |
- Attachments
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- Lit Segments.JPG (119.52 KiB) Viewed 2767 times
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- Posts: 12151
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Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
can you post a clear photo of your tube where its soldered in, the half-round PCB and the top & bottom of the kit?
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- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:46 pm
Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
Hi Ada, thanks for responding...
Here are the photos.
Here are the photos.
- Attachments
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- Tube showing solders
- Tube PCB.jpg (285.88 KiB) Viewed 2725 times
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- PCB bottom showing solders
- PCB bottom.jpg (283.49 KiB) Viewed 2725 times
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- PCB top showing the components
- PCB Top.jpg (315.86 KiB) Viewed 2725 times
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Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
and finally..
a picture showing the tube's alignment...
a picture showing the tube's alignment...
- Attachments
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- This shows the 3 'NC's of the tube going to the 'Display-NC' of the board.
- Tube connect.jpg (208.53 KiB) Viewed 2725 times
- alishl06
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:55 pm
Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
It looks like the display connector is installed on the wrong side of the board. The connector should be mounted on the same side as the tube.
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- Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:46 pm
Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
dang it, cracked the tube trying to de-solder. Got some from e-bay, I'll let you know how it goes.
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- Posts: 12151
- Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:21 pm
Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
you shouldnt be desoldering the tube, its on correctly. its the -connector- thats backwards. see the photos in the instructions, you can click for a larger version
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- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:46 pm
Re: ICE Cube clock displays gibberish
Finally got it all put together. I had broken the tube while de-soldering the 90 deg. double row. I got another from e-bay, even had to get another 90 deg, connector. Put it all together and the clock is working fine. Thanks for your help troubleshooting this. Cheers.
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.