Rails as Long Timer

[Control]

Hello.

My question is: How quickly does an object move across a rail? In M/sec or blocks/sec. (Without any mass penalties or speed controllers)


Use: I am working on a project which requires a long timer, with multiple triggered events. So for example, say I wanted a unique event every minute, A, minute, B, minute, C, minute... I've been using a long rail to trigger the events, and I believe this is a good system, however calculating the time between events has been next to impossible for me.

 

[Jaaskinal]

I know that a rail rotator going 180 degrees is almost exactly 1 second, and that would probably be your best bet at a compact system.
You could also combine it with flipflops to make longer systems with less blocks. One rotor going at 1/15 speed and 180 deg, hooked up a flipflop that goes to another flipflop should take exactly one minute to reset. I'm going to get on now, build this, and share it here and on CC.

 

[Control]

That's a good idea!
I'm at work right now (hence why I am on forum instead of game experimenting with this!)

Let me know if that works!

BTW why flip flops? Maybe my understanding of rotating rails isn't so great.
[DOUBLEPOST=1437788746,1437788651][/DOUBLEPOST]Ah, wait, it is because the rail will not send a H signal when it's not at the starting position correct? So to keep the device in H state, needs a flip... Hmm.. So extending off that to a second flip, what does THAT part do?

(this might become a thread of me posting realization by realization)

 

[Jaaskinal]

It appears I was off by 20%. A clock that should have taken a minute took 48 seconds.
Nope, flipflops just half signals to them, basically. It might be wise just to use a normal clock and a flipflop chain. Normal clocks (delay to not back into the delay) take one second to send a high pulse. If you put that into a flipflop chain it will take two seconds on the first flipflop, four seconds on the second, eight on the third, sixteen on the fourth and 32 on the second, at which point you'd want to activate another clock and flipflop chain to get 16 more seconds for a total 48 seconds, then another for eight to bring you to 56 then another for four to get you to your total of 60.

 

[Control]

Whew, that timing gets a tad complicated if you want specifically 1 minute hehe. I think I'll be happy with "around a minute" rather than getting that precise, but good to know on those flip flops doubling the time of a clock for each one used that way, I think that will end up being the trick used here. Thank a bunch Jaaskinal! I'll be sure to post my results when I finish :D

 

[Jaaskinal]

I'm giving you this clock, it does almost exactly one minute pulses :P
That being said, a 64 second timer is ridiculously easy xD

 

[Control]

Wooooooooo! Gracias Senor!
Yeah, 64sec clock seems like the way to go :D though now that I have your gift...

 

[AtraUnam]

It appears I was off by 20%. A clock that should have taken a minute took 48 seconds

So do we have that confirmed now? it takes a rotor 0.8 seconds to turn 180 degrees at the fastest speed setting?

 

[Jaaskinal]

So do we have that confirmed now? it takes a rotor 0.8 seconds to turn 180 degrees at the fastest speed setting?

It's not quite that because I also predicted the timing on my clock horrifically wrong, it's magic that it works at all.