User manual

Ampère 220/300mA pulse driver

Ampère 220/300mA pulse driver

The Ampère 220/300mA pulse driver has a current-controlled pulse output. It delivers pulses with a fixed current.

Pulse control 220 or 300 milliamperes
Polarity 1 Unipolar (non-alternating)
Frequency 1 1 pulse every 30 seconds (or 1 per second)
Load For 1 or 2 movements (double-sided clock)
Size 60 x 37 x 18 mm (LxWxH)

(1) This manual describes operation with the 'standard' basic configuration of this pulse generator. This configuration can be chosen  when ordering. The basic configuration can be adjusted at a later time via the configuration menu. In the last section you can read how this works.

Connections

Right side: clock pulse connection

Clamp screw connection for the wires to the clock movement.
The cable to the clock may be longer than the supplied terminals. Tested up to a length of 10 meters.

Left side: power connection

The pulse generator can be connected via either a DC jack or USB (USB-C on the Volta and Ampère, micro-USB on older models up to and including version S3).

  • DC Jack connection Ø 5.5 x 2.1 mm (3.5 – 6.0V DC)
  • USB port (5V DC)

The battery box is equipped with a DC Jack connector.

Please note: with the battery box and USB connected at the same time, only the battery box is used as the power supply.

  DIP switch settings

With the DIP switches, the pulse current, pulse length and the pulse frequency can be set.

After a setting has been changed, the pulse generator will need to be restarted to activate it.

How to restart

 

Pulse current

Use dip-switch 1 to determine the current strength of the pulses:

220mA pulses (Gents, Magneta)

300mA pulses (Synchronome, E.C.S., Smiths)

On older 220mA pulse generators (up to and including version S3), dip switch 1 has no function.

Pulse frequency

Dip switch 2

One pulse every 30 seconds (pulse frequency).

One pulse per second for second hand control:

Pulse length

With DIP switches 3 and 4 you can set how long a pulse stays ‘on’.

150 milliseconds (best for batteries):

200 milliseconds

250 milliseconds

300 milliseconds

What does the TIK button do?

Depending on the settings, the TIK button has different functions.

With: One pulse per pulse frequency

TIK = Generate pulse

Press the button to generate a pulse. The LED flashes briefly.
Use this to set the clock to the right time. With each manual pulse, the internal seconds count of the pulse generator is reset to 0.

Tip: Press and hold the button for a whole series of pulses. 

With: One pulse per second

TIK = Pause / Start

With the push of a button, the seconds pulses are paused or resumed (play/pause).

In pause mode, the LED flashes briefly and regularly; play: LED is off.

Empty batteries

The pulse generator checks the supply voltage level at two points in time.

  • Startup: once when switching on the pulse generator
  • TIK button: whenever a manual pulse is generated

When the supply voltage is (too) low, the LED flashes 3 times in a warning pattern.

It is possible that the clock will still work normally, but the batteries will run out completely in the foreseeable future.

 

With dead batteries, it may happen that the pulse generator still functions, but the clock will no longer advance.

  Technical details

Pulse driver dimensions 65 x 40 x 20 mm (LxWxH)
Battery box dimensions 70 x 65 x 20 mm (LxWxH)
Batteries (battery box) 4 × 1.5V AA (penlight)
Timekeeping accuracy Within a bandwidth of -4.0 to +4.0 seconds per month on average per year
Supply voltage 3.5 – 6.0 Volts DC
Power connector 1 DC Jack Ø 5.5 x 2.1 mm
Power connector 2 USB-C (Ampère); micro-USB type B up to and including version S3
Pulse output 220mA (±5mA) @ variable voltage min +/- 0.9V – max +/- 3.5V
Pulse output connection Terminal connection for wire gauge 0.129 – 1.31 mm² (26-16 AWG)
Environment Indoor use

Changing the configuration

The basic configuration can be adjusted on the latest generation of pulse generators via the configuration menu.