At Argon Prototypes we're obsessed with everything retro – but we also love the practicality, style and technological features of the current day. That's why our goal was to create a product that combines the undeniable style of vintage Nixie tubes with the appeals of modern technology.
In the development of this product, it was very important for us to create a design as compact and sleek as possible. Through meticulous development of the circuit board design, we are able to offer the Enix in a compact form. This results in a look that is clean, sharp and contemporary, and will look amazing on your desk or bedside table.
Our enclosures are CNC machined from a solid block of 6061 Aluminum and bead-blasted for a smooth satin finish. Every case will be quality-inspected upon production to ensure a high calibre product for all of our backers.
The Enix display is programmed to cycle through time, date, and ambient temperature. The temperature is measured using an internal sensor and the time and date can be manually adjusted using the two buttons on the rear.
The entire clock is powered via Mini-USB, so you can power the Enix through any USB power source such as a computer or phone charger.
The Enix offers a variety of eye-catching animations that seamlessly transition between time, date, and temperature. Not only do they look great, but they also prevent cathode poisoning on lesser used digits – thereby extending the lifetime of the tubes. Since the digits within the tubes are stacked, these animations have a unique 3D effect that can’t be replicated by 2D displays.
It also features luminous RGB underlighting that can be turned on or off. This feature is highly customizable, with adjustable brightness, individual color selection, and active modes such as the “Rainbow” effect. Our LEDs are very powerful, with the ability to create beautiful effects in both brightly lit rooms and dark rooms alike.
The Enix is both Arduino compatible and open source, so those with the know-how can easily customize their Enix beyond its standard capabilities. Just plug it into your computer, modify the code, and upload directly to the microcontroller.
Design your own animations, get creative with the LED effects – with the Enix, there are tons of possibilities. For example, you could try making your own LED chaser (like from Knight Rider), or a reassuring weekend countdown timer. We’ll leave these tasks up to you! If you come up with anything, share your creations with us on GitHub; we can’t wait to see what you have in store.
- 5V 300mA Mini-USB Power
- 4 IN-14 Nixie Tubes
- CNC Machined 6061 Aluminum Case
- Displays Time, Date, Ambient Temperature
- Individually Addressable LED Underlighting
- 2 Button Setting Control
- Time, Date, and Settings automatic backup when unplugged
- Cathode-poisoning prevention measures
Risks and challenges
The Enix has undergone months of development and testing, and our most recent prototype has been operating flawlessly. To the best of our ability we have considered our manufacturing process from beginning to end and have total confidence in our supply chain. However, as this is our first ever kickstarter project there will be learning experiences along the way. We have tried our best to account for these challenges in our project timeline with conservative time-estimates for each task.
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Funding period
- (30 days)