Retro Flip Clock Goes High-Tech with NTP Upgrade
Wolfgang Jung upgraded a 1960s Copal flip clock by replacing its dead synchronous AC motor with a modern stepper motor, and adding a Trinamic TMC2225 stepper motor driver, a Wemos D1 Mini, and a small 5 V power supply on a small PCB that fit the original housing. The clock now uses WiFi to connect to an NTP server to get the correct time, and an IR proximity sensor near the lowest digit to count the number of digits that have flipped over and deduce the current state of the display.