XIAC Museum

A curated engineering archive — real upgrades, prototypes, and decisions, documented at the moment they mattered.

Cremer CF830 tablet counter upgrade
Circa 2010 • Customer-installed retrofit (USA)

Cremer CF830 — detector & control upgrade

Retrofit Detection PLC control

A full detector and control upgrade for the classic CF830 tablet counter — from epoxy‑potted solar‑cell detectors to self‑calibrating electronics and PLC control, shipped to the USA for customer self‑installation.

King TC-8 tablet counter upgrade
Circa 2009 • First field installation

The first King TC‑8 upgrade install (Sydney)

Production upgrade Control systems Weekend changeover

A live production weekend changeover on a King TC‑8 tablet counter. Bench‑proven logic, practical fabrication — and one very real moment of cold feet.

Swiftpack counting sensors and control evolution
Circa 2008–2010 • Sensors → systems

Swiftpack counting sensors — from lineage to system

Sensors AGC evolution PLC + HMI

A long-running family of optical counting heads used across Swiftpack, DT Swiftpack, Kalish, and IMA machines. This Museum piece documents the original sensor architectures, the transition from fixed gain to AGC, repair‑to‑replacement development, and the later move to modern PLC and colour touchscreen controllers.

King TB5 tablet counter upgrade proof of concept
Circa 2009 • Proof of concept → 100+ installs

King TB5 — the leap of faith

Proof of concept Retrofit High-volume upgrade

The machine that marked the transition from servicing to engineering. Bought on instinct, upgraded one channel at a time, and later evolving into XIAC’s most successful retrofit with more than 100 installations worldwide.

PDI-1206 inspection system
Circa 2007 • From prototype to instrument

PDI‑1206 — inspection & detection concepts for Cremer CF1220

Inspection Detection Foundations

A look back at inspection and detection concepts that pre‑date modern systems. Design constraints, trade‑offs, and why some ideas aged better than others.

ASTRA-1P counting system
Circa 2005 • Diagnostic prototype

ASTRA‑1P — early prototype & evolution toward hybrid counting

Prototype Sensors Design evolution

An early counting platform that influenced later designs. This Museum piece will document the prototype hardware, lessons learned, and the ideas that carried forward.

Bridging Projects

Projects developed in parallel that helped bridge early experimentation into sustained, focused work — and ultimately cement XIAC’s long-term viability.

Kopriso Cold War nixie tube wristwatch
2012 • Kopriso • Dual-tube nixie wristwatch

Cold War — nixie tube wristwatch (AU‑2012)

Wearable HV Efficiency-first Collector piece

A constraint-driven side project: dual nixie tubes, high‑impedance touch controls, and motion‑activated reads — preserved as part of the Museum record.

Kopriso Mi Esposita solar nixie wristwatch
2013 • Kopriso • Solar-powered unique

Mi Esposita — solar nixie watch (AU‑2013)

Solar powered Single digit Unique

A fully solar-powered nixie watch built to test the limits of efficiency and energy autonomy, using a single-digit display and multi-purpose solar sensing.

Repaired Kopriso Mi Esposita Nixie watch
2026 • Repair & longevity documentation

Repairing a Kopriso Nixie Watch

Repair Longevity Serviceability

Documentation of a water-damaged Mi Esposita Nixie watch repaired in 2026 by its original designer — exactly 50 years after his first watch repair. The process validates long-term design stability, energy management, and serviceability beyond production life.