Digital Green LED Clocks

sample of one of the clocks in the lab

During the week of Oct. 24th, some small but vital improvements were made to lab. As most scientific experiments often do, many of the projects occuring at Spinlab require precise time keeping. It has been a long-haul battle getting the required clocks to function at optimum capacity, as well as finding a strategic place to mount them for best visibility from all areas of the lab, and it was finally achieved. That week Daniel Coulter installed high-precision 24-hour time green LED clocks in the lab. Since most of the experiments involving use of the laser require lab members to wear orange colored goggles, colors in that part of the spectrum are very difficult to see while wearing them. Therefore, the green LED allows for clear visibility of the clocks, even with the orange goggles. On a side note, the clocks are also a minor source of noise for the SADiCS experiment, however they have figured out how to account for it. This may not be the most drastic change, and it may seem rather mundane, but truthfully it is not. This is just one of several small improvements being made to ensure the maximum efficiency from this lab; the clocks are simply proof that small achievements are just as important as bug discoveries, and it was definitely a win. -DC