12" Electro mechanical calendar & tide clock

[Mr RB]

So if you get an extra midnight pulse (noise) or miss a midnight pulse you have to reprogram the PIC with a new date??

I would add two buttons; day+ and day-, and one LED. So if you inc or dec the day, the PIC stores the new day, and the LED then flashes the day; like day 24 it would flash "2" then "4".

That would be very simple in hardware, pretty simple in software, and completely remove any need to unplug/reprogram the PIC again as it will never get more than a couple days out from any typical fault or disconnect.

 

[oliverb]

I have had some really good results from playing around on a simulator with the code I have been given. Looks like the code will work with my calendar with a few tweeks.

Mr RB
I will need some form of stepping for the month display and setting for the pic but I will hold off any hardware choices until I have I good idea what the software can or can't do.

Brett.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

It does look really great.

 

[oliverb]

Thanks to couple of members of this forum I have been sent a PM with working code and diagram for a calendar clock. This was also converted for me to work with my 18f1320 PIC. All I had to do was write a tiny bit of code to add some extra pulses for my chosen movements.

I have built the calendar clock and tested it in situ and it seems to work fine. I now have to run the cables in to connect it to my master clock for final testing.


The day movement is a 120 cog wheel and needs 3 pulses per day while the month uses a 60 cog wheel so requires 5 pulses to move it a whole month.

The date is set on the calendar clock via a PC connected via a 9 pin RS232 connector. The pic can also be read via the PC and feeds back live date and pulse info over the same link. There are also some switches or man setting and reading the date from the PIC.

Below is a link to a demo of my calendar showing why I needed the extra pulses to step the day and month indicator hands at the end of a month. I have superimposed the com port display over the image so you can see the feedback as the calendar is pulsed. At the end you can see "months toggle" on the com port display. As there are 5 pulses to the months movement which is a modified quartz clock movement the month pulse has to start in reverse polarity to the previous month pulse.

**broken link removed**

 

[oliverb]

A few more pics of my Calendar Clock in situe with my laptop plugged in setting the date to the pic. There is also a pic of the final version of the dial and hands filled shape.

Brett.

 

[oliverb]

I have managed to convert my demo animation to video format and have posted it to YouTube.
See link.

The video also has a basic sound track added.
Note the sound of the clock stepping is amplified and is normally not that loud compared to the Master clock chime.

The calendar clock is still running fine and has been running for several months now including having the power turned on and off a few times.

Full details on my Master Clock site here http://www.brettoliver.org.uk/masterclock.htm

 

[wombweller]

Hi Brett

Great work looks well!!

 

[ericgibbs]

hi Brett.
Pleased to hear the program is running OK.

 

[oliverb]

Thanks Eric & Mark.