adafruit industries

Hello EVERYONE, I had recently written in with an issue with Xmas-Ice-Tube clocks that were being restarted by the watchdog timer every 8 seconds
viewtopic.php?t=198641]

\
The cause of the problem was that I had inadvertently turned on the external clock module when I recompiled the code — so now that is off, the clocks start up and run normally. However, I have a second problem that I do not have an answer to. It seems like go with the re-compiled code that there is a negative sign in front of the clock data and it's always on. I scoured the Internet with Google today looking for an answer. I found none. I read through the code today, I could not find anything to turn negative sign on. Also, I looked at some of the data sheets for IV – 18 tubes cannot tell which pin controlled the negative sign.



To Confirm the behavior, I went to the GitHub repository and download the latest firmware and used it to compile new firmware that I then used my USBtinyISP to program 2 ATMEGA chips — the negative sign is still on on both clocks.

Just to be clear, the clocks that I built all used version 2.2 firmware on revision D boards that I ordered from OSHPark.


So I ask the experts here what could cause the leading negative sign to be turned on and what should I do to get it turned off.

Thanks for any help you may offer,

Johnny Brian




Modules turned on are:
#define XMAS_DESIGN

#define TEMPERATURE_SENSOR
#define XTAL_TURNOVER_TEMP 400 // deg C / 16
#define XTAL_FREQUENCY_COEF 34 // -ppb / (deg C)^2

#define BDAY_ALARM_MONTH 1
#define BDAY_ALARM_DAY 2

#define OCR0A_MIN 20
#define OCR0A_SCALE 11
#define OCR0A_MAX OCR0A_MIN + 10 * OCR0A_SCALE

#define SUBDIGIT_MULTIPLEXING


#define VFD_TO_SPEC

#define OCR0A_VALUE 192

#define AUTODRIFT_PRELOAD 255

#ifdef EXTERNAL_CLOCK
#define AUTODRIFT_SLEEP 1600 // ~5 ppm
#else
#define AUTODRIFT_SLEEP 2800 // ~2.8 ppm
#endif

I added "Ice Tube" to your topic title. The author of the Xmas firmware often contributes to this forum on Ice Tube topics.

adafruit_support_bill wrote: ↑Wed May 10, 2023 7:05 pm I added "Ice Tube" to your topic title. The author of the Xmas firmware often contributes to this forum on Ice Tube topics.

Thanks Bill! I might have missed this post otherwise.

Limnidytis wrote: ↑Wed May 10, 2023 4:20 pm Hello EVERYONE, I had recently written in with an issue with Xmas-Ice-Tube clocks that were being restarted by the watchdog timer every 8 seconds
The cause of the problem was that I had inadvertently turned on the external clock module when I recompiled the code — so now that is off, the clocks start up and run normally.

Congratulations on solving the other problem. Well done!

Limnidytis wrote: ↑Wed May 10, 2023 4:20 pm So I ask the experts here what could cause the leading negative sign to be turned on and what should I do to get it turned off.

As with the original clock design and firmware, the leading negative sign is used to indicate the status of the alarm. So try flipping the alarm switch off. If that doesn't work, check the soldering of the alarm switch.

John

Wow that was an easy fix. I have not set a alarm on any of the clocks that I have built and had not noticed that the alarm switch controlled the appearance of the minus sign.
Since I am a late comer to the VDF tube clock party, I only know your ver. 2.2 clocks and have no experience with any Adafruit clocks.

Thanks again for your help in solving this problem

Ah. I probably forgot to describe that feature in the xmas documentation... Sorry.

Anyway, I'm glad that was the issue. Congrats on getting the clock to work as desired!