A DMX controllable clock with high speed. For the production State of the Union
at the Staatstheater Braunschweig.
The clock consists of two stepper motors, which are controlled via a stepper motor controller and an ESP32 microcontroller.
DMX Table
| Channel | Function | Values |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hours | 0 - 11 |
| 2 | Minutes | 0 - 59 |
| 3 | Speed | 0 - 255 |
| 4 | Mode |
Explanation of the different modes of channel 4
| Values | Mode | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 9 | Go to time | moves the hands up to the time set via channel 1 and 2 |
| 10 - 19 | Free run | moves the clock hands continuously at the speed set with channel 3 |
| 20 - 29 | Go to time reverse | moves the hands up to the time set via channel 1 and 2 |
| 30 - 39 | Free run reverse | moves the clock hands continuously at the speed set with channel 3 |
| 200 - 209 | Zeroing | Sets the 12 o’clock reference to the current hand position |
| 210 - 219 | Reset | Sets the 12 o’clock reference to the current hand position and deactivates the motors |
Go to time
naturally moves the clock hands up to the time set via DMX channel 1 and 2 and then stops.
By incrementing the minutes via channel 2,
you can display a clock with hard minute increments in this mode
Free run
Moves the clock hands continuously at the speed set with Channel 3.
The clock stops at a speed value of 0.
The clock can be operated continuously in this mode and by setting it to go to time mode,
the clock moves to the time set in DMX channels 1 and 2 without a jump.
Zeroing
The stepper motors do not have an absolute encoder (open loop stepper motor). Accordingly, they cannot know how they are positioned if the supply voltage was disconnected or the clock hands were turned by hand.
To zero the clock from the FoH, you can operate the clock in go to time or free run mode and set the speed to zero when the hands are at 12 o’clock.
By setting it to this mode, the movement is told that the hands are at 12 o’clock and the clock is referenced.
Reset
The clockwork has two independent stepper motors, which are moved by the software on the control unit so that they move like a clock.
If the clock hands were moved by hand, for example during assembly, they may not be in the correct relationship to each other.
In this mode, the clockwork is told that the hands are at the 12 o’clock position and the motor control is deactivated so that the hands can be moved by hand.
This mode can also be set directly on the clockwork.