I can't believe that it has been exactly one year since I last posted on my 10000 Year Clock.
Well I finally got the low power LCD and put together a prototype of the clock. So progress is being made.
The LCD is a 40-pin 4-digit module 40LCD from Futurlec.
The LCD driver is MAXIM ICL7211A.
Here is the datasheet in pdf.
I have programmed the MSP430G2553 so that the display cycles through the following display sequence:
YYYY
MM/DD
weekday
HH:MM
The entire circuit is powered by a 1F/5.5V super cap. The solar panel shown was salvaged from inexpensive garden lights. In bright sunlight the output voltage is about 3.5V, just perfect for this project. It is connected to a 1N5817 Schottky diode and then to the super cap.
The average current draw is about 3μA. In testing, I found that the super cap can power the clock for about 10 days.
So now it is on to Stage 4 - synchronization with the sun. This is the tricky part. For now here is what I have.
I found a piezo buzzer, XL-450 that is just the perfect size. I took it apart and removed the internal components. Then I glued an IR photodiode, Honeywell SDP8276, to the inside bottom of the buzzer. On the retainer ring, I glued two thin brass shims to make a very narrow aperture.
The idea is to attempt to synchronize the clock to the midday sun. The algorithm is going to be challenging, to say the least.
For the moment, I am collecting test data using MATLAB and will later decide what is going to be my strategy.
Here are the challenges:
1) I need to ignore data from days that the sun doesn't shine.
2) I need to watch for false peaks, i.e. when there is cloud cover at the critical moments.
3) I do not have an ideal south facing window and hence I need to accommodate other locations.
4) What happens when someone moves the clock, even by the smallest amount?
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MSP430 Tutorial - Index
Well I finally got the low power LCD and put together a prototype of the clock. So progress is being made.
The LCD is a 40-pin 4-digit module 40LCD from Futurlec.
The LCD driver is MAXIM ICL7211A.
Here is the datasheet in pdf.
I have programmed the MSP430G2553 so that the display cycles through the following display sequence:
YYYY
MM/DD
weekday
HH:MM
The entire circuit is powered by a 1F/5.5V super cap. The solar panel shown was salvaged from inexpensive garden lights. In bright sunlight the output voltage is about 3.5V, just perfect for this project. It is connected to a 1N5817 Schottky diode and then to the super cap.
The average current draw is about 3μA. In testing, I found that the super cap can power the clock for about 10 days.
So now it is on to Stage 4 - synchronization with the sun. This is the tricky part. For now here is what I have.
I found a piezo buzzer, XL-450 that is just the perfect size. I took it apart and removed the internal components. Then I glued an IR photodiode, Honeywell SDP8276, to the inside bottom of the buzzer. On the retainer ring, I glued two thin brass shims to make a very narrow aperture.
The idea is to attempt to synchronize the clock to the midday sun. The algorithm is going to be challenging, to say the least.
For the moment, I am collecting test data using MATLAB and will later decide what is going to be my strategy.
Here are the challenges:
1) I need to ignore data from days that the sun doesn't shine.
2) I need to watch for false peaks, i.e. when there is cloud cover at the critical moments.
3) I do not have an ideal south facing window and hence I need to accommodate other locations.
4) What happens when someone moves the clock, even by the smallest amount?
PREVIOUS NEXT
MSP430 Tutorial - Index