Model IMP-1DC Battery Operated Slave Clock Impulser

Converts your slave clock to a working timepiece without modifying its original mechanism.

· The PIEXX IMP-1DC allows you to put your slave clock back into operation without modifying its original, historically significant mechanism.

· Will produce either 1 or 2 impulses per minute for American or Gents mechanisms.

· Will produce either unipolar or bipolar (polarity reversing) clock pulses.

· Accurate, microprocessor based design will keep time to within a minute a year.

· Battery operated from either internal or external 3.5-6VDC batteries. No other battery voltages required!

· Easy installation.

· Hour / minute advance retard feature allows for easy setting.

· Ready to go for 12-24 VDC clocks.

· Extra strike output can be used for hour or ships watch strike.

IMP-1DC Inside View. The 2 white wires connect to the clock mechanism.

Installation

1. Remove the 4 screws securing the cover and back plate. Remove the back plate.

2. If you are using the IMP-1DC to run a Standard Electric, IBM, International, Stromberg or other unipolar clock mechanism, install the 2, stripped, connection leads from your clock mechanism through the slot in the IMP-1DCs cover and into the bottom 2 connections on the J2 terminal strip. If you are using a bipolar, or polarity reverse type of clock mechanism, connect the clock leads between terminals 1 and 3 of the J2 terminal strip. If you are using a bipolar installation, you will not be able to make use of the hour strike feature of the IMP-1DC.

3. If you would like to use the internal batteries to run your IMP-1DC, install 2 CR123 photo batteries with the positive terminal facing down towards the center of the IMP1-DC board. There is a + symbol silkscreened on the circuit board to show this battery orientation. The internal batteries will run a Standard Electric clock for more than 6 months. If you decide to use an external battery pack, PIEXX can supply the appropriate AA, C or D cell pack with the correct termination connector. The 2.1mm power connector is set up to accept a 3.5-6VDC center positive connector. Under no circumstances should you apply more than 6VDC to this connector!

4. If you are using a unipolar clock motor, there exists an extra output that can be used to sound an hour striking or ships watch bell. If you would like to use this feature, connect the bell strike solenoid between the upper two connections, pins 2 and 3, of terminal strip J2. You will have 2 wires, one to the strike mechanism and one to the clock motor in the center connection on J2.

5. Replace and secure the cover on the back plate with the 4 flat head 4-40 screws that you removed in step 1.

6. If you are using an external battery pack, plug the round power jack from the battery pack into the P1 power connector. Do not apply more than 6VDC to this connector! The clock / strike system will run on 4 C sells for a very long time, 4 D cells is even better! If you plug in the external power connector, the internal batteries are removed from the circuit.

Operation

Number Entry and Display:

Through out these instructions you will notice that there are certain numeric parameters that are either displayed or entered. In all cases the display and entry follows the following convention:

· Display – Numeric values are displayed by blinking the LED associated with that parameter. The blinking LED will be a series of long flashes, indicating tens units, followed by a series of short flashes, indicating the single units. A long flash lasts ½ second and a short flash lasts 1/10 of a second. The numeric value, indicated by the flashing LED sequence, is generally repeated until another function is performed. As an example, the value 32 will be shown on the LED display as 3 long flashes followed by 2 short flashes.

· Entry – Numeric values are entered in much the same way as they are displayed. To enter tens units, press and hold the button associated with the parameter to be entered for a period of at least ½ second. To enter single units, press the button quickly. While in the numeric entry mode a single press of the CLR button will clear the number to 0 as indicated by no flashing of the LED associated with the parameter being entered. If you press the CLR button a second time, the entry mode will be stopped as indicated by the 4 corners led flashing sequence. Lets try a couple of examples:

1. Press the ADV button to enter the clock advance routine.

2. Press and release, quickly, the MIN button. The MIN LED is now showing the number 1, as indicated by single short flashes of the MIN LED about 1 second apart.

3. Again, press and release, quickly, the MIN button. The MIN LED is now showing the number 2, as indicated by two short flashes of the MIN LED about 1 second apart.

4. Now, press and hold the MIN button for about a second. The MIN LED is now showing the number 12, as indicated by one long flash followed by two short flashes of the MIN LED about 1 second apart.

5. Clear the MIN display by pressing the CLR button once. The MIN LED is now indicating 0, the MIN LED is not blinking.

6. Exit the ADV clock mode by pressing the CLR button again. You will notice that the ADV, SET, CLR and MIN LEDs are sequenced in a square pattern indicating the exit from the entry mode. After this four corner pattern, all LEDs are turned off to save power.

If no entry is made for approximately 1-2 minutes, in most of the clocks modes, the IMP-1DC will exit whatever mode it is in and turn off all of the LEDs. This is to save battery power if the user doesn’t complete an entry in a timely fashion.

Clock Parameter Set-up:

Before operating the IMP-1DC you will need to set up its operating parameters to work correctly with your clock mechanism. There are four parameters that need to be adjusted that effect the operation of the clock mechanism:

1. Clock Pulse Width.

2. Clock Pulse Type, unipolar or bipolar.

3. Clock Voltage

4. Number of Impulses / Minute (1 or 2).

The first 3 parameters are set from the Clock Impulse Setting menu which is entered by simultaneously pressing the MIN + HOUR buttons. The IMP-1DC will indicate that it is in the Clock Impulse Setting menu by lighting both the MIN and HOUR LEDs. In addition to the MIN and HOUR LEDs, the ADV, RET and SET LEDs will also be turned on/off to indicate the status of the various parameters that they control.

1. Clock Pulse Width- The ADV LED will indicate a numeric value, in the format previously indicated, that shows the relative pulse width of the clock advance pulse. The pulse width will be different depending on the manufacturer of the clock mechanism that you will be operating. In all cases you should use the lowest value that will reliably operate your clock mechanism. The lower the Clock Pulse Width value, the shorter will be the duration of the clock actuation pulse and the longer your batteries will last. The Solenoid style mechanisms used in Standard Electric, Stromberg and some IBM mechanism will generally work with clock pulse widths in the order of 6-10. The ‘meter movement’ styles of IBM or International mechanisms require a longer pulse in the neighborhood of 20-30. If your mechanism is dirty and sluggish, and you compensate by applying a greater clock pulse width, you will pay by reducing the battery life of the IMP-1DC!

2. Clock Pulse Type- Most of the mechanism that we come into contact with are unipolar. That is, they don’t require an alternating polarity clock impulse. There are some mechanisms that require a bipolar or alternating polarity clock advance impulse. While in the Clock Impulse Setting menu, the state of the RET LED will reflect whether the IMP1-DC will produce the more common unipolar impulse, RET LED on, or the bipolar impulse, as indicated by the RET LED being off. You can toggle between these states by pressing the RET button while in the Clock Impulse Setting menu. If you choose the bipolar mode, the 2^nd IMP-1DC output will not be available for strike operations.

3. Clock Voltage- The IMP1-DC can either produce 12 or 24 volt clock advance pulses as indicated by the stat of the SET LED. If, while in the Clock Impulse Setting menu, the SET LED is on, the IMP-1DC will be in the 24VDC mode. If the SET LED is off the IMP-1DC will be in the 12 VDC mode. Toggling between these modes is done by pressing the SET button.

To save and exit the Clock Impulse Setting menu, simultaneously press the MIN and HOUR keys. The parameters you have entered will be saved and all of the LEDs will turn off. You can also exit the Clock Impulse Setting menu, without saving your changes by pressing the CLR button twice.

The last parameter, Number of Impulses / Minute, is set from the Double Clock Pulses menu which is entered by simultaneously pressing the ADV + MIN buttons. The IMP-1DC will indicate that it is in the Double Clock Pulses menu by lighting both the ADV and MIN LEDs. If the RET LED is on, the IMP-1DC will produce a single impulse each minute in the normal clock modes. This is the setting that is the most common. Some of the European mechanisms require two clock impulses per minute. The double clock mode is indicated by the RET LED being off. Pressing the RET button will toggle the IMP-1DC between the 2 possible modes. To save and exit the Double Clock Pulses menu, simultaneously press the ADV and MIN keys.

Setting the Time:

To Advance the time, press the ADV button, followed by the MIN or HOUR button. The number of minutes, or hours, to advance will be indicated by the number of flashes of the MIN or HOUR LED in the format previously discussed. Each time you press the Min or Hour button, while in the advance mode as indicated by the ADV LED being lit, the minute or hour counter will be incremented and the MIN or HOUR LEDs will flash indicating the higher count. To institute the time change, press the SET key. The ADV, SET and either MIN or HOUR LEDs will remain lit until the time change has completed. While you are in the time setting modes, the clock in the IMP-1DC will continue to run and any lost minute impulses will be inserted after you complete the clock setting procedure. If you decide not to change the time while in the advance mode, you may terminate the procedure by pressing the CLR button.

To Retard the time, use the same procedure as that indicated for advancing the time but start out by pressing the RET key. Retarding the clock by hours(s) is accomplished by sending multiple minute advances until the correct retarded time is achieved. Retarding the clock by minutes is accomplished by stopping the impulse stream for as many minutes as indicated on the flashing MIN LED.

Pressing the CLR button while the clock is advancing may terminate an advance or retard sequence. Remember, while you are in the time setting modes, the clock in the IMP-1 will continue to run and any lost minute impulses will be inserted after you complete the clock setting procedure.

Synchronizing the clock to the nearest second may be accomplished by pressing the SET button, to enter the set mode as indicated by the SET LED lighting, followed by another press of the SET button at the time you would like the clock to advance to the next minute.

Adjusting the Clock Speed:

If the IMP-1DC gains or looses time, it can be easily adjusted from the Speed menu. Before making these adjustments, you should make sure that your clock mechanism is faithfully advancing each time it receives an impulse from the IMP-1DC. Adjusting the IMP-1DC’s speed to compensate for a mechanical error is a bad idea! To enter the Speed menu, simultaneously press the SET + CLR buttons. The IMP-1DC will indicate that it is in the Speed menu by lighting both the SET and CLR LEDs. While in the Speed menu, you can cause the IMP-1DC to run faster by inputting a value through the ADV button, or to run slower by inputting a value through the RET button. Each unit entered will cause the IMP-1DC to run either faster or slower by 1/10 of a second per day. As an example, if you enter the value 15 via the ADV button while in the Speed menu, the clock will run 1.5 seconds faster per day. To exit and save the Speed menu value, you must simultaneously press the SET + CLR buttons. When you leave the Speed menu, the display will show the total accumulated advance or retard value on the ADV or RET LED one time. A special case occurs if you enter the value 0 for either ADV or RET. Entering 0 will return the IMP-1DC to the factory set speed as indicated by no display by either ADV or RET led when leaving the Speed menu. To reset to the default factory speed:

1. Simultaneously press the SET + CLR buttons.

2. Press the CLR button once. This clears the number entry register.

3. Simultaneously press the SET + CLR buttons.

Strike Operation:

In order to utilize the IMP-1DC’s Hour strike features you must find a suitable 12-24 VDC actuated single strike bell mechanism. We have modified Ships Bell style bells with a 24 VDC solenoid strike mechanism with great success. Alternatively, you can modify repeating bells to act as single strike types by bypassing the current interruption switch. These repeating bells are sometimes found inside the cases of Slave Clocks.

You will need to set up several three parameters associated with the strike mechanism as well as the time, both minutes and hours, indicated by your clock mechanism. The three parameters are set from the Strike Impulse Setting menu which is entered by simultaneously pressing the HOUR + CLR buttons. The IMP-1DC will indicate that it is in the Strike Impulse Setting menu by lighting both the HOUR and CLR LEDs. In addition to the Hour and CLR LEDs, the ADV, RET and SET LEDs will also be turned on/off to indicate the status of the various parameters that they control.

1. Strike Pulse Width- The ADV LED will indicate a numeric value, in the format previously indicated, that shows the relative pulse width of the strike pulse. The pulse width will be different depending on the striking mechanism you adopt, but as with the clock advance pulse, the lower the number the longer your batteries will last. Typically the strike pulse width will be a very small number, 1-5, and the tone and volume of the bell will be affected by the value selected.

2. The state of the RET LED reflects whether the IMP-1DC will generate a normal hour strike sequence, RET LED on, or a ships watch strike sequence, RET LED off. You can toggle between these modes by pressing the RET button.

3. If you have selected the normal hour strike mode, the SET LED will indicate whether a ½ hour strike will be enabled. If the SET LED is on, the half hour strike will sound.

To save and exit the Strike Impulse Setting menu, simultaneously press the CLR and HOUR keys. The parameters you have entered will be saved and all of the LEDs will turn off. You can also exit the Strike Impulse Setting menu, without saving your changes by pressing the CLR button twice.

You will need to set the IMP-1DC hour and minute registers to reflect the time that you slave clock is showing. The hours register is reached by simultaneously pressing the SET + HOUR buttons. When you are in the hour menu the SET LED will light and the HOUR LED will show the current value of the hour register. Set the hour register to reflect the current hour indicated on the slave clock connected to the IMP-1DC. This hour setting is accomplished in 24 hour format. After you have set the hour register, exit the hour menu by simultaneously pressing the SET + HOUR buttons. To set the minutes register, follow the same procedure outlined above except enter and exit the minute menu by simultaneously pressing the SET + MIN buttons. The MIN LED and button are used to enter and display the minute register.

After the minute and hour registers are set, alterations to the clock settings via the hour / minute advance and retard procedures will automatically update the registers. If the IMP-1DC loses power, you will need to reset the hour and minute registers.

You can force the IMP-1DC to strike the current hour setting by pressing the HOUR button. Pressing the MIN button will disable strike operations until the next time the HOUR button is pressed.

A 24VDC Solenoid mounted inside of a 4” Bell for Hour Strike

Repeating Bell Modified for Single Strike Operation.

Notice the Blue Wire.

Battery Life:

The internal CR123, also referred to as CR2/3A, lithium camera batteries should run a properly adjusted time only mechanism for approximately 6 months. For extended life or if you plan on using the strike feature, PIEXX can supply an external battery holder for AA, C or D cell batteries. The larger the batteries chosen, the longer the batteries will run the clock system. 4 C cells are a good choice for those who would like the clock to run for a year on a set of batteries.

MENU Overview

Clock Impulse Setting: (MIN + HOUR buttons)

ADV - Output Pulse Width (1-60)

RET - On = Clock connected between terminal strip pins 1 and 2. Single polarity clock pulse.

Off = Alternating polarity clock pulse. Clock connected between terminal strip pins 1 and 3. Note: When alternating clock advance polarity is used, hour strike functions are disabled.

Set - On = 24VDC Advance/Strike pulse.

Off = 12VDC Advance/Strike pulse.

Strike Impulse Setting: (CLR + HOUR buttons)

ADV - Strike Pulse Width (0-60)

RET - On = Hour Strike

Off = Ships watch strike.

SET - On = Half Hour Strike.

Off = Only Strike the Hour.

Double Clock Pulses: (ADV + MIN buttons)

RET - On = One clock impulse per minute.

Off = 2 clock impulses per minute.

Speed: (CLR + SET buttons)

ADV – Speed up clock, each unit is .1 seconds / day (0-99)

RET – Slow down clock, each unit is .1 seconds / day (0-99)

Hour Set: (SET + HOUR buttons)

HOUR – Sets the hours part of the time of day (0-23)

Minute Set: (SET + MIN buttons)

MIN – Sets the minutes part of the time of day (0-59)

Strike On: (HOUR button)

Pressing the HOUR button will turn on the hour strike feature. In addition, the strike mechanism will sound the current time in either the regular hours or ship watch mode.

Strike Off: (MIN button)

Pressing the MIN button will turn off the hour strike feature