The up and down of it all...

This video is sped up 500% to show the movement sequence quickly. In real time, these sets of moves and pauses take a little over six minutes in total. I spent two weeks trying to wrap my head around this and I finally found the "magic numbers" to run all the segments in the proper sequence. The movements are coordinated by three separate microcontrollers - each one controlling 2 stepper motors. All six clock frames move as follows beginning with the seconds column: frame A moves close to position/frame B moves completely out of position/frame A moves to final position. These three moves take 16 seconds total. After these moves, all frames wait 15 seconds. This sequence is repeated in succession by the minutes column, then the hours column. Then starting back again with the seconds column, each column does the same set of movements in reverse. The sequence then starts all over again and continues to repeat until powering off. The really tricky part was placing the correct delays in the code for each of the microcontrollers so all six stepper motors would move at the correct time. 77,85,39,0,B

It's all in the timing...

Took me 3 weeks to wrap my head around this - but I finally found the magic numbers to run the clock segments in their proper sequence.  70,80,42,0,C

devils...

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 

Down under...

The bunnies spend a lot of time under my shipping containers, so I relocated my camera to capture what goes on down there. This is the father. I can tell him apart from the others by the notch in his right ear. It should be noted that rabbits are fastidious groomers. 68,74,50,0,B

13 years

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All motors running...

There sure are a lot of wires when you got three microcontrollers and six stepper motors all hooked up. First try at powering up and nothing happened (I had my common grounds mixed up). Now that all of them are working consistently, I have to set their timing and synchronization. Then it will be time for some "cable management". 76,82,60,0,W

Day long diversion...

Just arrived from China (ordered 5 weeks ago).  Took way too much time to figure out how to load my own photos on it.  Also took way too much time to get it to display the correct local time and temperature.  It logs onto openweather.org to get the info to display.  I had to set up a free account and get what is called an "API key" - but the cube kept showing me weather for a different Alpine.  After a lot of searching, I finally found the suggestion that I had to enter the city, state, and country (Alpine,TX,US) - not just city and country (Alpine,US) as all the other directions instructed.  It is a rather tiny object.  The image on the screen is projected through a one-inch square prism cube.  You can get one here... 75,80,58,0,W 

Synchronicity...

I am ending up using 3D printed timing wheels instead of all the aluminum ones I ordered. Sending them back for a $75 refund! Had a beast of a time figuring out a problem I was having with the second set of stepper motors. One of them worked just fine, but the other kept getting hung up and had very low torque. Tried 3 different motors and they all had the same problem. I finally found the hitch: In some earlier testing, I briefly wired up power to one of the motor drivers reverse polarity and it didn't run and the IC on the board got really hot. I rewired it and it seemed OK - but apparently, it wasn't. When I swapped out the board for a new one the problem was solved. Pretty satisfying seeing these run perfectly in sync... 79,85,44,0,W

Inspiration...

Found a nice circuit board in my junkyard (from an old dual cassette player) to use as a background for my multi segment clock project.  And getting more ideas from people who create circuit sculptures.

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The hard work...

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.  

design & print

For those of you who don't share my enthusiasm for this project...

...here's a picture of a rabbit.

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Printing more parts...

80 tooth 2GT timing pulley.

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Parts in motion...

First time setting 2 clock frames in motion after a lot of 3D printing & trial and error part rigging. I experienced far fewer problems than expected so I am actually rather surprised how well it came together. 48,55,38,0,B

Porter's Renovation

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A little engineering...

You might be surprised how difficult it was to set this up so the six clock frames would move up and down smoothly.  More stepper motor parts coming tomorrow so I can set this in motion.  64,70,43,0,B

Breakfast...

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Doesn't mean you will get a pony if you ask for one...

Psalms 37:3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.  

Nesting again...

Look for bunny #3 in about two weeks.

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Long day...

Woke up at 5AM and couldn't go back to sleep so I figured I might as well fire up the 3D printer.  Wasn't planning on doing the rest of these today but I got an early start.  Took 8 hours to print and 1 hour to assemble the final 4 clock boxes.  

For the record:  I am building a working model of the digitally animated screensaver clock I posted about here... The Field Lab: CLOCKOHOLIC 

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Passed the rail test...

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Little box frames

Was going to make these using 1/4" balsa wood sticks but decided it's time to break out the 3D printer again.  This is a little framed box that will hold a clock module for the epic clock project I have been working on.  There will be six in total - 3 columns of 2 each.  They will travel up and down along corner rails via timing belts driven by 6 stepper motors.  57,61,34,0,B

Finding what works...

Experimenting with different stepper motor mounts...

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moth...or

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it's how it is...

1 Corinthians 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  

Dad&Mom

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Waiting on parts...

Held up by the bad weather earlier this week...

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I could live here...

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Icy day...

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