written by: kailash nr - amazon web services...diy ticker timer the ticker timer is an apparatus...

DIY Ticker TimerThe ticker timer is an apparatus that is used to measure time in various physics experiments.

Here's a guide to building your own.

Written By: Kailash NR

DIY Ticker Timer Release: 1.0 [major] 2018-11-07Guide ID: 430 -

This document was generated on 2019-10-05 09:41:09 AM (MST).

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INTRODUCTION

The ticker-timer is an instrument that uses a constant frequency source (like the 50Hz AC supply) tovibrate a metal arm at a constant rate. This arm then creates dots on a strip of paper (using a carbonsheet) that is run through the instrument. Building it involves creating a structure to hold the vibratingmetal arm, the paper strip (ticker tape) and the electrical connections necessary.

TOOLS:Soldering Iron (1)Paper Cutter (1)Scissors (1)USB Adapter (1)

5V 1AAny mobile charger with a Miro usb cable.

Smartphone (1)Android/iOS

PARTS:Synthetic rubber glue (1)cyanoacrylate glue (1)Sand Paper (1)

5x5 cmSolinoid Actuator (1)

5v3w Stereo Amplifier Board (1)

PAM8403Micro usb Breakout Board (1)Foam Piece (1)

11x8x1 cmIce Cream Stick (5)Aux Cable (1)Electric Wire (6)

15cm



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— Precautions

Scissors and Cutters have functional sharp edges. Contact may result in injury. Always keepblades away from fingers and body. Handle with care.

Be careful while handling metal pieces, they may cut the skin if handled improperly.

Always be mindful of polarities (+/-) dealing with semiconductor devices. Applying power the wrongway on the amplifier can permanently damage it.

— Step 1 - Making the Base

Start with a piece of foam that's 11 cm in length, 8 cm in breadth and 1 cm in thickness.

Cut a piece of Aluminium sheet to just over a centimeter lager than the foam on all sides.

Cut the corners as directed. These will help fold the metal sheet smoothly over the foam base.



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— Step 2 - Making the Base II

Fold the metal sheet over the base, on the two shorter sides of the foam recangle. This will helpthe sheet warp less during the final folding.

Remove the foam from the metal and apply the rubber adhesive to the surface that was in contactwith the foam.

Then place the foam back and fold the sheet till it covers five sides of the foam base. Carefullyshave away any rough edges with sand paper.



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— Step 3 - Mount for the Carbon Paper

Now mark out lines to divide the base into four equal halves. These lines can be made with amaker or light scratched in the aluminum sheet itself.

Mark a spot about 0.5 to 1 cm blow the base and use a pair of scissors to make a hole just bigenough to be threaded by the screw.

Make sure that this hole is smooth and free of frayed edges. Make a slightly larger hole on theother side of the foam to allow the screw to be threaded for the bottom.

— Step 4 - Threading the Screw

Drive the screw most of the way into the foam, till it emerges out the other side. And apply glue tothe screw head to glue it in place.

Ensure that protrudes out at least 1 cm and is relatively perpendicular with the base. Then wait 5-10 mins for all the glue to set before continuing.

Make a 3 cm slit in the base about 0.5 cm from one long edge of the base.



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— Step 5 - Fixing the Solenoid Post

Cut a large ice cream stick in to a section that's about 6 cm long.

Fill the slit with glue and push the section you cut into the foam base. Make sure the stick is secureand perpendicular to the base.

Cut the remaining part of the stick into three or four sections, each 1 cm in length.

— Step 6 - Making the Solenoid Mount

Glue the pieces of the ice cream stick in a stack, to form a spacer about the size of the solenoid'sframe.

Once the glue has dried, sand the edges of the spacer as will as the faces, to ensure evenadhesion to the solenoid.



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— Step 7 - Fixing the Needle

Apply glue to the head of the pin as well as the head of the solenoid.

Then glue the pieces together ensuring that the pin is centered on the solenoid.

When the glue has dried, sand one face of the solenoid frame, to roughen it up a bit. Now applyglue to this face.



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— Step 8 - Mounting the Solenoid

Join the spacer and solenoid together and let the glue dry for five minutes.

Now its time to stick the finished ticker assembly to the frame. Carefully Glue the spacer onto theice-cream stick post.The spacing of the needle from the frame is crucial and should be at between4 - 7 mm.

This spacing affects the operating frequency of the finished timer. This is because we arechanging the available travel length.

Once the solenoid in place and the glue has set. Cut off any excess of the post above the solenoidframe.



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— Step 9 - Wiring the Electronics

With the amplifier, USB port and some wires at hand. Start by soldering power wires to theamplifier, these will be connected to the pins marked VBUS (+) and GND (-) on the USB port. Thewires should be at least 8-10 cm long.

Attach two more wires to the audio input section of the board. This section will have L, I and Rmarkings, they indicate left , ground and right respectively. Attach the wires to the I and R pins.

Attach the solenoid's wires to the right output section of the board (OUT R). The polarity isn'tcrucial so it can be ignored. Additionally, this connection can also be made once the board ismounted.



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— Step 10 - Insulation the Amplifier

Cut out a piece of paper to a little bigger than the amplifier board.

Glue this piece to the back of the board. And cut off the excess paper except at the bottom edgewhere the wire are.

Stick an additional strip of paper across the power and input section to protect and reinforce thewires.

— Step 11 - Mounting the Electronics I

Now glue the board to the back of the post, just above the base. A metal piece can be pastedbehind the post first for additional strength. But doing so is optional.

Make sure all connections are secure and correct. You should have two free wire ends for signalinput. Both the USB board and solenoid should be connected to the amplifier.



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— Step 12 - Mounting the Electronics II

Cut two pieces of foam the size of the USB port.

Sandwich the port in between the pieces.

Now carefully fasten a binder clip over the whole assembly to secure the port. Make sure that theport accessible.

— Step 13 - Securing the Input Wire

Remove the arms of the clip.

Make two holes in the base as will as the foam underneath for the wire to go through.

Make a knot out of the wire and string it though the hole so that it is blocked by the knot. And makeanother knot at the other end as well.



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— Step 14 - Adding the Audio Jack

The three wire of an audio jack are left, right and a common ground. The Ground can be identifiedby is grey or black colour.

Solder the right and ground wires of the jack to the right and ground of the amplifier.

Glue the USB port to the base and reinforce the joint with a foam spacer.

— Step 15 - Making Paper Guides

Cut an ice-cream stick into two 3.5 cm pieces.

And four 1 cm pieces.

Stick two of the 1 cm pieces at the ends of the 3.5 cm pieces. This will leave a space of ~1.5 cmfor the paper tape.

Stick both guides at either end of the base. One can use a strip of ticker tape to make sure theyare aligned with the needle.



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— Step 16 - Cutting the Carbon Paper

Cut a 5 cm square out of carbon paper, and fold into a smaller square to find its center.

Once folded cut the corner that corresponds to the center of the larger square. Cut along an arcalong the other opposite side.

You should have a more or less circular disk of carbon with a hole in the center.

— Step 17 - Testing I

Place the disk of paper on screw holder and make sure it slips under the solenoid needle. Theticker timer is now finished.

To ensure proper function the paper needs to be relatively friction free and the disc must rotatewhen a strip is pulled through the machine.



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— Step 18 - Testing II

Attach the power cable to the ticker timer, and have it set for 50 or 100 Hz (sawtooth). This can bedone either with a smartphone or computer as a signal source.

Once this is done, push one end of the strip through one of the slots on the timer. Then, pass itunder the carbon paper and out the slot on the opposite side.

Adjust the amplitude (volume) of the signal source until the strip has dots imprinted on it.

— Troubleshooting - Operation

If dots aren't being made on paper, the amplitude (volume) of the input waveform isn't high enoughor the frequency is too high.

If, instead of a dots, you get lines or very tightly spaced dots, the amplitude of the input waveformis too high or the frequency is too low.



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written by: kailash nr - amazon web services...diy ticker timer the ticker timer is an apparatus...

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