there should not be any gap whatsoever.

the nice part about these newer panels is that instead of being comprised of 32 distinct 8x8 blocks, each panel is two 32x32 blocks which are heat stamped to the pc boards. this allows the displays to have a nice uniform look without any gaps or misalignment between any of the distinct LED elements

I am planning to re-design the rear panel this weekend so that when the two panels are installed, they will fit together just as tight with no gap between them

2016.july.02 update
the display panels were ordered yesterday. I am coordinating shipment of the run-dmd boards with limpan right now and I just ordered the sample acrylic (which I should have by july 12th)

fingers crossed that I measured everything correctly and got the design changes right the first time around. the new panels are actually slightly larger than the older ones that had the 8x8 LED blocks and just barely fit on the largest acrylic sheets that ponoko offers

once I have the acrylic in hand, I should be able to figure out exactly what hardware will be needed. as I stated before, my goal for this run is to make these kits as easy to assemble as the stern size kits

yes, they will. I'm trying to get Linus to get Torbjorn to change the jumpers to a switch block (with tiny rocker or slide switches), making it easier to change the settings before I order all of the run-dmd pc boards

will do, plus I replied to your pm

2016.july.07 update
the display panels and power supplies have arrived

100 display panels

the new acrylic panels are due to arrive tomorrow. if everything checks out, I will be ordering the hardware and run-dmd boards next week and at that point should be able to provide a rough timeline of when the completed clocks and kits will be available for purchase (and at what price point

I will be able to ship internationally. the power supplies procured and included in the kit are rated to work with both 110 and 220 voltages but you will need to source the appropriate cord to plug into the mains (or wall outlet for us yanks)

2016.july.08 update
the acrylic panels arrived today and it looks like I'm close, but not quite there. I'm going to change the position of the run-dmd board and move it a lot closer to the top of the panel so that the buttons are much easier to access (even for those of you with sausage sized digits and add a cut-out to make the inserting/removing the SD card (for updates) much easier.

with the older panels, there was plenty of room to get [my] finger and a thumb in between the acrylic panels to grasp the SD card, but with the new panels that that have a thick nylon frames that the LED panels are affixed to, prevents this.

I'm going to tweak the panel and (fingers crossed), the next set of test acrylic will be right on the money

the good news is that I was close enough with the fit to determine and order all of the necessary hardware (which, even though coming from the UK and HK) will probably still arrive faster than the run-dmd pc boards

the targets that you all want to know are as follows:

[final] pricing:
I will be able to honor my original estimate of 410usd plus shipping for these new clocks

initially, I am going to offer these as completed kits only (I would rather spend the time building them to ensure that everything works straight out of the box when you, the customer receives it

estimated shipping date:
I hoping for the 2nd-3rd week of august if everything goes according to schedule. possibly the end of august/beginning of september if I run into a snag or two

edit:
I'll post some photos next week after receiving the next batch of test acrylics if everything looks good

redacted due to being able edit the 1st post again. thanks robin!

final update for the evening
I think that I have the new acrylic template all laid out. I've decided to go back to the original design where since this size clock is mounted on the wall (or suspended from the ceiling), the easiest access to the buttons is from the bottom

this also solves the problem of placement of the EXP one connector for those of you that choose to take it upon yourselves and order the remote control expansion board

here's a look at the positioning of everything
board_position_(resized).JPG
run-dmd_white_panel_(resized).jpg

firmware updates (which include new clock features (like fonts, the sleep timer, etc...) are performed via the ICSP port (a 6-pin connector which access to is available through a cut-out on the rear acrylic panel using a microchip PICkit 3 module (or chinese knock-off from ebay) like the one linked here:
ebay.com link: PICKit3 Microchip Programmer w USB cable wires Pic Kit 3

the animation files and all user controlled settings are stored on the SD card

each panel is approximately 12.5" x 6.5" the overall size of the clock frame is approximately 27.5" x 7.5"

2016.july.14 update
all components (including the 50 run-dmd white pc boards) have been ordered

the 2nd set of test acrylics have been laser cut were shipped yesterday (wednesday), fingers crossed that they arrive this weekend. if everything looks good, more pics will be posted

edit:
2nd test batch of acrylic frames are due to arrive today (friday, july 15th)

added to the list.

ps
I am not liking the fact that we cannot edit posts beyond 24 hours of the initial post. I understand from the mod's perspective, but it doesn't make sense in all cases

2016.july.16 update
new acrylics are a go! everything fits exactly like I want it to. there is just a bit of give for the holes that mount the LED panels and they line up perfectly without any gap between them.

the image below shows the clock running in "teal"
IMG_3128_(resized).JPG
IMG_3130_(resized).JPG

IMG_3129_(resized).JPG

spent the day cutting, stripping and crimping to make the custom power wiring harnesses. I hope to have them all done by tomorrow evening (this was the part that I hated the most

I have updated the 1st post of this thread with up-to-date information concerning pricing, availability and the features of this batch of clocks

please feel free to pm me or post here if you have any questions

also, please note that by sending me your complete mailing information ahead of time, I will be able to calculate the exact shipping costs and send you a total amount due (saving us both a pm exchange)

the parts are slowly starting to arrive (the M3 x 12mm flanged screws arrived today

I also completed fabricating the 50 power wiring harnesses this evening. I think I will also shorten the data cables so that there is no extra cable dangling inside the clock frame. (more work for me, but the end result is a cleaner, neater looking product

2016.july.21 update
things are rolling along really nicely now. I was planning on starting to work on the custom length data cables last night, but lo and behold all of the rest of the hardware (bolts, screws, washers, stand-offs and hex posts) from both the UK and HK arrived (about 10 days ahead of schedule no less

I counted and separated all of the parts into individual bags to ensure that I received the correct quantities to build the 44+ clocks that I'm intending (fortunately, I had some extra hardware for the couple of different items where I was shorted. in past orders, I've always received a few extra screws, etc..., but not this time around.

with this step out of the way, the custom power cable harnesses will get zip tied this evening to tidy them up and then I will start on reducing the lengths of the data cables.

the laser cut acrylic frames will be ordered this evening (which should set their arrival for the beginning of august) and the timeline to start receiving the run-dmd [white] pc boards (in 3 batches), is around the 10th of august

fingers crossed that if all goes as planned, everyone should have their clocks by the end of next month

ps
even though I wasn't able to order the spacers and stand-offs in the exact lengths that I would have wanted, I'm pretty pleased with the results of what I was able to get. I will post photos tonight of the final prototype clock that is now completely assembled. I may change the rear panel one last time and add the following changes:
- add an additional cut-out so that fitting the ac power cord into the run-dmd pc board is a bit easier to for those with larger digits
- add a second set of mounting holes (and associated cut outs, including the above change) so that the buttons and SD card can be accessed from the top of the clock.

jyeakley:
there's plenty of room, but I wasn't planning on adding the holes to mount the board on this revision. if you'd like me to run a special rear panel for you, please pm me for further discussion

I've added both of you to the list (lenwesam and eLLuiGi)

2016.july.28 update
just a quick update. I've been rather busy so I still haven't finalized the acrylic frames like I promised a week ago (adjusting the position of the run-dmd board a bit more and creating an access hole for connecting the power cable). I plan on completing this task tonight or tomorrow evening and then submitting the acrylic order.

component-wise, everything else is either on hand or has been ordered. the 200 16-pin IDC connectors to shorten the 2 data cables will hopefully arrive this weekend. creating the new, shorter cables will probably take me 2-3 nights. (I could do the prep work now, but if the connectors do not arrive by the time the acrylic and run-dmd pc boards start showing up, I don't want not having any cables, delay shipping the clocks)

invoice pm's will go out in the order that reservation requests were received as the clock assembly is completed. if I do not receive a response within 48 hours, the next person [in line] will receive a pm to keep orders flowing. however, your [place] in line will be remain "1st" if & when you do reply)

2016.july.29
here are images of the current build
front of clock [powered down]

view of the lower, front corner (right side when viewed from the front)

current access to SD card (SD card ejected from spring loaded carrier)

lower edge of clock, inside acrylic frame view

rear panel

the plan is the move the run-dmd pc board down (about 5-8mm) so it extends past the frame of of the rgb LED panels, it will still be about 5-8mm from the bottom of the acrylic (hiding it from view and still allowing the clock to be used on a counter top)
also, an access hole (approximately 20mm x 30mm) will be cut in the rear panel (below the battery access) to help with the insertion/removal of the power cord

edit:
the proposed changes have been made to the design and another test order has been submitted. my current estimated delivery for this new set is aug 8th. if everything looks good, the remaining acrylic will be ordered and I should have it approximately the middle of august

it's always been my philosophy to be as transparent as possible and I think that if there is information worth sharing, why not?

hopefully, the updates have been informative, useful and help give everyone a sense of a timeline of what's done and what's left to do, even if I don't have a solid date to give. it's funny that with each run of these that I make, I'm still finding ways to make them a bit nicer than the previous run (cleaner designs, easier assembly and hopefully, better quality components.

I've also got to thank Torbjörn and Linus for being incredibly receptive to my suggestions, and making changes which (I think) has made the run-dmd board a bit better for you guys (and gals) as well

2016.jul.31 update
Torbjörn has received the bare run-dmd white pc boards and is currently assembling them for my order. here's a look at the new board with the dip switch block that will easily allow you to toggle the LED panel colors.

run-dmd [white] pc board

the fully assembled clock measures approximately 28" x 8.5"

the board is positioned so that the power cable is inserted on the inside (towards the center of the clock) and remains hidden.

the size of the power brick is approximately 8"x3"x2" and is a bit large to be hidden inside of the clock without significantly modifying the design of the frames. (I would need to make the clock approximately an additional 2" deeper to accommodate the power supply, add an additional layer of acrylic and more hardware components to secure everything between the front and rear frames)

In attempting to simplify the build process, I did not add any mounting holes to support the EXP ONE expansion board. that would have simply driven up the final cost of the acrylic (additional laser cutting = a higher cost)

I've updated the list with all of the new requests

just a reminder to send me your mailing info (if you already haven't done so) will speed up the final shipping process. (if I've got your mailing info, I can calculate the shipping costs and shoot you an invoice once the clocks are assembled, boxed up and ready to ship (saving us a pm exchange