Propeller Clock

2019-01-072019-01-16
by Clemens

This project started in 2010 as a university project with the goal do develop a rotation clock. Main objectives of the project was to develop an induction power supply using a MOSFET H bridge and and to layout a PCB. The PCB contains a 8051 microcontroller and ten OSRAM RGB LEDs as well as an optical reflex coupler. The board is mounted on a rotateable motor, which propels the board to 40 rotations per second. Based on the input data of the reflex coupler, the microcontroller then calculates the current position and switches the LEDs on or off so that the user sees a stable image.

The PCB features a power supply that suported AC/DC inputs, ranging from 7 to 20V, while delivering a stable 5V DC current used to power the 8051 microcontroller soldered onto the PCB. The board is powered using induction. A MOSFET H bridge is used to power the primary coil, while the secondary coil is mounted on the rotateable part. Programming started in Assembler (requirement of university), but will be finished in C. The project is not yet completed – the PCB works as expected and the induction power supply is working, but the current mechanical setup is not fast enough to create a stable image. Development is still ongoing (only problem is time 🙂 ).