New MetaClockClock: Combining Art and Technology in Clocks

The MetaClockClock is a clock made of clocks. It consists of multiple dual-shaft stepper motors, arranged as a matrix of 5×12 analog clocks. Each clock has two motorized hands that can move independently. The clock can tell the time, but in a unconventional way. The entire matrix creates a meta-display that shows the time or other information. Between the updates, the hand can do coordinated, choreographed movements.

The clock hands are laser cut acrylics with get light up with a LED ring around the clock.

This article describes the build with CNC cut oak enclosure, laser-cut parts and 3D printed items.

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Sharing Standalone NXP SDK Projects in VS Code

The NXP SDK is git based which is great. If I create a project with VS code, it references the SDK cloned locally.

Standard NXP SDK Project in VS Code

A standalone project structure is needed if you want to easily share a project with your team. It’s also necessary for sharing inside a classroom environment. This article shows how to use an NXP SDK project in standalone mode.

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Building a DIY Split-Flap Clock

I’m making progress on my larger split-flap project (see Update on the Split-Flap Project for 2025). So far I have 32 operational for the larger 64 flap installation. In parallel, I worked on a smaller 4 flaps unit used as a clock.

Split-Flap Clock
Split-Flap Clock
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GitLab Automated CI/CD Embedded Multi-Project Building using Docker

In CI/CD for Embedded with VS Code, Docker and GitHub Actions, I used GitHub to build a pipeline. This setup supports continuous integration within a CI/CD environment.

This time, let’s do a similar thing. But instead of GitHub, I use GitLab with VS Code. And I use it for a project where three different MCUs are used: the Raspberry Pi Pico-W, an Espressif ESP32 plus the NXP K22FX512 on the Sumo robot:

Raspberry Pi Pico-W, Espressif ESP32 and Robot with NXP K22FX512
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Processor Expert Components: 24-Dec-2024 Release

The year 2024 is coming to its end, time for a Year-End-Processor-Expert-Component-Release.

Processor Expert Components in Eclipse (KDS)

Also, this is now the 10th anniversary of the releases on Sourceforge, starting with https://mcuoneclipse.com/2014/10/21/mcuoneclipse-releases-on-sourceforge/ back in 2014.

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NXP LinkServer 24.9.75: New GUI for Flash Programming

NXP has released a new version of the LinkServer software. This is a utility for debugging and using scripting for a wide range of devices and debugging probes. It includes support for the MCU-Link, LPC-Link2, on-board and CMSIS-DAP based debug probes with the ‘LinkFlash’:

Programming with LinkFlash

With the new release, it includes a graphical user interface (GUI) for flash programming. It also includes erasing, verifying, recovery, and saving the memory to a file.

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How to Use SystemView Data Plot Feature for Real-time Data Visualization

There is a new feature in the SEGGER SystemView: the ability to plot any data provided by the application, for example sensor data or any other useful data:

SEGGER SystemView with Data Plot
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Binary, do you use Hard-Float or Soft-Float?

Many cost-sensitive ARM Cortex-M devices like the M0+ do not have a hardware floating point unit, and some like the M4 only has an optional single-precision floating point unit (FPU). As outlined in “Be aware: Floating Point Operations on ARM Cortex-M4F“, using floating point operations without a hardware unit can be costly.

Looking at the disassembly for sure will tell you if the hardware is handling the float or double operation or not:

Disassembly showing runtime routines

But who wants check the all the disassembly? With the GNU tools there is an easier way: readelf.

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Moving Pixel Clock Project

Clock projects are cool. LED projects are cool too. And if it moves, the better. So why not building a moving pixel LED mechatronics clock? A matrix with addressable RGB LEDs, each can change color and is moved by a tiny stepper motor, to let pixels stand out?

Moving Pixel Clock
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Processor Expert Components: 24-Dec-2023 Release

The new year 2024 is coming, so time to close the current year with a new release: I’m pleased to announce a new release of the Processor Expert components, available on SourceForge and GitHub.

Processor Expert Components in Eclipse (KDS)

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