Clock Question

A simple method would be to write a Basic or C utility to interrogate the system clock and output the time string through the port in whatever format you choose..

Cheers!

Chip Shults

How about this? Once a day look at the computer and set your clock. Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry Jim, I just couldn't resist it, and if I had a clue I would tell you, honestly I would. 8)

Bill @ GarberStreet Enterprizez };-) Web Site -

"Jim Thompson" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

You'd have to write a small program that spits out the message... and build a clock that understands it... Or buy a clock with a serial link of some sort, and use the provided software that no doubt comes with it.

Any discount store...$30 or less for a "radio-controlled" or "atomic" clock...they are also "NIST synchronized." Wall or nightstand size for about the same price. Most are good to +/- 0.1 second or better (sometimes MUCH better). If you're only going to read the numbers visually, few people can SEE a 0.1 sec difference. Don't understand what you'd gain by obtaining a sync pulse from a PC...motherboard overhead (for RS232) and that plus OS overhead for USB may make it less accurate than your WalMart atomic clock. Unless the computer is dedicated to running your clock. If so...

webpa

You could write a VB script to poll the Datepart: Time(), or Now(). Send it to the serial port though MSComm, as a byte or a sync pulse.

I actually designed such a chip for Bowmar, maybe 30 years ago.

My problem is I'm down in a rock-pile mini-canyon and the 60KHz isn't strong enough.

I was planning on synchronizing maybe once an hour.

...Jim Thompson

date > /dev/ttyS0

In Analog language this means what ???

...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | | | E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat | |

Jim:

"Nice to have a clock with that accuracy... Heh, heh..."

Seems like you have a yen for clock accuracy...

Jim, to really appreciate what it means to be an amateur with a "yen" for accuracy you should visit...

You will be impressed...

-- Peter Consultant - Signal Processing and Analog Electronics Indialantic By-the-Sea, FL.

Analog it ain't. If I remember my UNIX days, that command redirects the OS's date function to the serial port. Beats me what you'd do with it then.

Do you dislike WWV?

Other wise you'd need to parse a serial string sent out from a vb script or a plain old windos app. Cable length of usb would be too short for most clock locations. Blue tooth would be nice tho (c;

Cheers

"Jim Thompson" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Jim,

It's easy to write a program that, receiving a message via the serial port, gets the system time and sends it back. So you need to get (build) a clock that is relatively accurate on its own and sends a message every now and then, receives the system time of the computer and synchronises itself accordingly. The message can be a byte (a special one like a question mark or a random one) or even a pulse pulling a modem control line of the serial port. I'd use a micro containing a UART (PIC or any brand you like) and clock it with a clock x-tal from an old watch or something like that. If you like it a more oldfashioned way, you still need a UART. But you can build the clock using (synchronous) counters with a parallel load. A carry pulse - from the tens minutes counter or instance - can be used to activate the computer. That has to send the time bytes in BCD. Shift them in a shift register and load them into the counters when the last one has been received.

petrus

Indeed...I think the site can be summed up by the following picture:

Aye, now *that*'s a lab.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Uhmm? Go to costco, and buy their WWVL synchronized wall clock for $17?

-Chuck Harris

Jim Thomps> Anyone have an idea how one might output their PC clock information

Hi Jim,

I too sync my computer using NTP.

A few lines of Perl should do you bud :-)

-- Gregg

What type of clock? How far from the computer to the clock? Any walls between the clock and computer? How much free floating RF in the house? Are you wanting a major piece of software to interface it or just a simple on off single to the clock for signalling it's the top of a new hour? Do you want it to report back when it has to reset?

Charles

Its 'unix' (or linux) for 'spit the ascii representation of the date down the serial port'. You would need hardware on the other side that could parse the ascii and determine the date.

Why not just buy a WWF clock? Actually, maybe this one would be better:

Regards Bob Monsen