Timers, clocks and pulse generator collection

[Starshifterxen]

Hi guys,

This is a collection of the various timers and clocks available in vMC and BTW. These have key functions in many automated systems.

Consistent length timers:

Vanilla

• - Item despawn (Video 1 - 0:45)
  - Piston based (Video 1 - 2:45)
  - Repeater based (Video 1 - 3:40)

BTW

• - Minecart based (Video 1 - 4:20)
  - Turntable (Video 1 - 5:00)
  - Block dispenser based (Video 1 - 5:55)
  - Detector block based (Video 1 - 7:25)
  - Buddy block based (Video 1 - 8:10)
  - Water Flow based: As in Battosay's Tower of Time (Video 3)
  - Lens & Detector block day/night timer

Random length timers:

Growth based (Detector block with):

• - Wheat
  - Cactus
  - Sugar cane
  - Hemp
  - Trees
  - Mushrooms

Pottery firing based

• - Detector block based off the time taken to cook pottery

Animal based: Using the random movement of animals to trigger

• - Pressure plates
  - Detector blocks

Either by letting them walking around or falling through air/cobwebs

Timer extenders/memory devices

Vanilla

• - Piston ring (Video 2 - 3:20)

BTW

• - Block-dispenser

Video 1

Spoiler

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The aim was to provide timers that were:

- Customisable in length of delay
- Togglable
- Easy to build

Video 2

Spoiler

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Video 3

Spoiler

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All credit Battosay! :)

If you use any other timers, feel free to share them in this thread. :)

[Gilberreke]

Did you cover bio-clocks? I haven't checked the video yet

Bio-clocks are somewhat random, but for stuff that needs to run every X minutes, they're golden

[Starshifterxen]

No i didn't, good one!

Can you explain what is involved?

edit: I realise what you mean now. All of the clocks above are configurable and for a set period of time. I will add a section to the O.P about random clocks too. e.g. bio clocks, growth based and animal based timers

edit2: indecisiveness on my part. added section to OP.

[Gilberreke]

For completeness sake, water clocks. Battosay has a 5 minute water clock. Very precise it seems.

[Starshifterxen]

Thanks Gil. Do you have a link to it to hand?

[Gilberreke]

[Starshifterxen]

Reworked the OP, to make this a more generic collection of timers.

Let me know if I'm missing anything.

[rhacer]

If you include BTB there are at least a couple of more.

[TaterBoy]

Thank you so much! I'm no engineer or computer specialist, nevertheless I love making the kinds of things the pros do, figuring them out is a different story. I especially love the block dispenser timer, it's simple, easy to customize, and infinitely repeatable.
Though my automation efforts are a pale shadow by comparison to the machines you all build, I feel it's only a matter of time before I get the hang of it and this stuff is old hat to me.

I truly appreciate this and will put it to work often!

[Donzaffi]

SunClock?
You know light detector because the sun rises each the day at same time so its precise

[Starshifterxen]

I truly appreciate this and will put it to work often!

Not a problem, glad it helps :)

SunClock?
You know light detector because the sun rises each the day at same time so its precise

Good one! I'll add it to the OP.

[TheAnarchitect]

I've seen a few cobweb+mob timers, but seeing as you can't harvest cobwebs even with silk touch, the only way to build one outside of creative would be to carefully set one up in a found location. This is highly impractical, but I thought I'd mention it for completeness.

Also for completeness, technically a BUD placed next to a pottery turntable, or an active kiln, could be used similarly to the Bio-clock.

The piston ring isn't really a clock as much as it is a memory device. It requires another clock for it's timing, and merely modifies the timing from that clock. It's useful for timing, but it's in another category. In that same category would be Block-dispenser based Memory.

[Heilkaiba]

It's up to you but you could show compound timers (by which I mean chaining BD ROMs for example). Also long delay repeater clocks can be made using two loops of differing delay length and an and gate so that a pulse is produced only when they tick simultaneously (the lowest common multiple of their delays).

[Starshifterxen]

I've seen a few cobweb+mob timers, but seeing as you can't harvest cobwebs even with silk touch, the only way to build one outside of creative would be to carefully set one up in a found location. This is highly impractical, but I thought I'd mention it for completeness.

Add extra detail to OP, thanks.

Also for completeness, technically a BUD placed next to a pottery turntable, or an active kiln, could be used similarly to the Bio-clock.

I think the BUD one is covered, but I have added one based off the firing of pottery.

The piston ring isn't really a clock as much as it is a memory device. It requires another clock for it's timing, and merely modifies the timing from that clock. It's useful for timing, but it's in another category. In that same category would be Block-dispenser based Memory.

You are right. I have added a section for extenders/memory devices. Thank you.

It's up to you but you could show compound timers (by which I mean chaining BD ROMs for example).

Thanks. I mention how any of these timers can be combined as desired, so I think that is sufficient.

Also long delay repeater clocks can be made using two loops of differing delay length and an and gate so that a pulse is produced only when they tick simultaneously (the lowest common multiple of their delays).

That sounds very clever! Do you have an example video showing one of these?

[Heilkaiba]

Also long delay repeater clocks can be made using two loops of differing delay length and an and gate so that a pulse is produced only when they tick simultaneously (the lowest common multiple of their delays).

That sounds very clever! Do you have an example video showing one of these?

After a quick trawl through youtube I couldn't find any appropriate videos so I mocked it up quickly in creative to give a general idea:

Spoiler

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As a point to note, while making the clock, I noticed that it will trigger several times if the delays(or multiples thereof) are too close. I'm sure that the design could be improved to eliminate this but I've been busy recently and I haven't had time to work it out properly.

As for the timing it will tick every time the time is divisible by the times of both clocks (i.e. every lowest common multiple).

[Poppycocks]

That would probably work better with a pulse limiter before the and gate.

[Battosay]

I'd rather say use a monostable circuit to feed your 2 loops with a 1 tick pulse signal.