![]() ![]() As a low-cost solution, while there is still some amount of light diffused, it’s definitely better than without the separator.Īlmost all of the files used for building the small word clock are available on ’s project page, including the software and design files. To tackle the light scattered internally in the PCB’s FR4 material, a separator is used to contain the light. The time tracking is fairly simple, using a DS1302 serial real time clock chip – it even charges a super capacitor to keep time after power is removed! By skipping or not skipping cycles, this allows the display to look brighter or dimmer. ![]() For scanning the matrix, the software uses an interrupt that draws the current column of LEDs and updates the display image before incrementing to the next column. Using a pin map assigned to the I/O for the rows and columns of the array, the software toggles the states of the pins as a switch statement. It’s a pretty understandable solution for keeping the design simple, and the letters all fit onto the design so well! Rather than making a larger array of letters, had the clock describe the time down to five-minute intervals then add asterisks for the full time. One design challenge for the letter matrix was fitting all possible minutes into the array. In order to block light between adjacent letters, the 3D-printed light box comes into play. The bottom side uses the same design principle with a square shape that overlaps the letter. The design places the letters on the top stop and restricts layers to keep the solder mask and copper from obstructing the light. The design uses a home-brewed PCB design that runs off 5 V via USB. In fact, they were inspired by all of the existing DIY word clock designs using anything from off-the-shelf LED arrays, transparency masks and WS2812s. Unlike a similar project made by, which uses an 8 x 8 LED matrix with an inkjet printed overlay, this small word clock uses a 3D-printed light box to achieve its letter matrix. Typically, the solution is just to use a digital timepiece, but has opted to make a small word clock that you can carry with you wherever you go to remind you of the time in the English language. If you’re like the average clock user, you’ve probably gotten annoyed at reading analog clocks before. The rack-and-pinion system can also be used to make a compact linear clock.Ĭontinue reading “Watch Time Slide By With This Electromechanical Clock” → Posted in clock hacks Tagged 3D printed clock, electromechanical clock, rack and pinion, sliding Time Slider is the latest in ’s long line of mechanical clocks, which includes the Time Twister series that evolved from a clever Lego-based design to a neat 3D-printed model. Especially the hourly change of three or four digits at once is mesmerizing, as you can see in the video embedded below. The display takes about ten seconds to update, but the process has certain hypnotic quality to it, helped by the mechanical whirring of the stepper motors in the background. wrote a detailed assembly guide to go along with the STL files and Arduino code, so it should be easy make your own Time Slider if you have a decent supply of PLA filament. Evertyhing is controlled by an Arduino Mega, acoompanied by a DS3231 RTC and eight ULN2003-based stepper motor drivers. Those frames are moved up and down by a rack-and-pinion system driven by stepper motors. Four flat pieces of red PLA form a basic 88:88 indicator, onto which the correct time is displayed by sliding frames that black out certain pixels. The mechanical display is almost entirely made of 3D printed components. ![]() ![]() His latest work, called the Time Slider, is every bit as captivating as his previous work. is one of them, and has made a name for himself with an impressive portfolio of electromechanical clocks. The advent of mass production made their profession largely obsolete, but today there are several hardware hackers whom you could consider modern heirs of the craft. Back in the 18th century, clockmakers were held in high esteem, as turning pieces of metal and wire into working timepieces must have seemed like magic at the time. ![]()
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