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An instrument [particularly barometer ]movement includes a plurality of elements including a pressure transducer capable of sensing barometric pressure and converting the sensed pressure into electric signals, a stepper motor having an hour shaft used in a conventional quartz clock movement, a micro

An instrument [particularly barometer ]movement includes a plurality of elements including a pressure transducer capable of sensing barometric pressure and converting the sensed pressure into electric signals, a stepper motor having an hour shaft used in a conventional quartz clock movement, a microprocessor, and a battery, operatively connected together so that the microprocessor controls movement of the stepper motor with power supplied by the battery in response changes in atmospheric pressure sensed by the pressure transducer; and a housing mounting the plurality of elements with the motor shaft extending outwardly from the housing. Other transducers, such as temperature or humidity, may alternatively be utilized. Other d.c. motors with positional feedback may sometimes alternatively be used in place of the stepper motor. The movement is operatively connected to a pointer (which may be much larger and heavier than in conventional analog instruments) which is accurately moved by the d.c. motor with respect to a dial with barometric or other indicia. An alarm, and battery voltage sensing circuitry, may be mounted within the housing and operatively connected to the microprocessor and activated by the microprocessor when the battery voltage drops below a predetermined threshold. The microprocessor preferably controls the battery so that the battery is substantially in an inactive mode more than 95% of the time. The microprocessor can also activate a second mode of the alarm if the change in the environmental condition sensed between two or more spaced transducer readings is greater than a predetermined threshold. A second dial with second pointer and motor may be utilized to indicate other environmental conditions (such as pressure rate of change, temperature, or humidity).

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What is claimed is: 1. An instrument movement comprising: a plurality of elements including a transducer capable of sensing barometric pressure, temperature, or humidity and converting the sensed condition into electric signals, a stepper motor having an hour or minute shaft used in a conventional

What is claimed is: 1. An instrument movement comprising: a plurality of elements including a transducer capable of sensing barometric pressure, temperature, or humidity and converting the sensed condition into electric signals, a stepper motor having an hour or minute shaft used in a conventional quartz clock movement, a microprocessor, and a battery, operatively connected together so that the microprocessor controls movement of the stepper motor with power supplied by the battery in response changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature, or humidity sensed by the transducer; and a housing mounting said plurality of elements with the motor shaft extending outwardly from the housing. 2. A movement as recited in claim 1 further comprising an alarm, and battery voltage sensing circuitry, mounted within the housing and operatively connected to the microprocessor and activated by the microprocessor when the battery voltage, as sensed by the circuitry, drops to or below a predetermined threshold; and wherein the microprocessor controls the battery so that the battery is substantially in an inactive mode more than 95% of the time. 3. A movement as recited in claim 2 wherein microprocessor functions so that the alarm is also activated, in a different mode than when the battery voltage drops, or a second alarm is activated, if the change in condition sensed between two or more spaced transducer readings is greater than a predetermined threshold. 4. A movement as recited in claim 1 wherein the transducer is a barometric pressure transducer; and further comprising a temperature sensor mounted within the housing and operatively connected to the microprocessor so that pressure determinations from the pressure transducer are temperature compensated. 5. A digital to analog barometer comprising: a dial with barometric indicia; a pointer operatively connected to a shaft for movement with respect to the dial; a pressure transducer positioned to sense barometric pressure and convert the pressure sensed to an electrical signal; a d.c. motor operatively connected to the pointer shaft; a microprocessor; and a battery; the pressure transducer, d.c. motor, and battery operatively connected to the microprocessor so that the microprocessor accurately controls movement of the motor with power supplied by the battery in response to changes in barometric pressure sensed by the pressure transducer, the motor in turn changing the position of the pointer with respect to the barometric indicia on the dial. 6. A barometer as recited in claim 5 wherein the d.c. motor comprises a conventional stepper motor having a minute or hour shaft used in a conventional quartz clock movement; and wherein the pointer shaft is operatively connected to the minute or hour shaft. 7. A barometer as recited in claim 5 wherein the dial has a diameter of at least about 10 inches [25 cm], and the pointer has a radius of at least about 5 inches [12.5 cm]. 8. A barometer as recited in claim 5 wherein the pointer has a weight of at least about 2 grams. 9. A barometer as recited in claim 6 wherein the motor is operatively connected to the hour shaft; and wherein the pressure transducer, battery, microprocessor, and stepper motor are mounted in a housing operatively connected to the back of the dial, and wherein the housing has dimensions of approximately 2⅛ by 2⅛ by ⅝ inches [5.4��5.4��1.6 cm], with the pointer shaft extending outwardly from the housing. 10. A barometer as recited in claim 5 further comprising a temperature sensor operatively connected to the microprocessor so that pressure determinations from the pressure transducer are temperature compensated. 11. A barometer as recited in claim 5 further comprising a battery voltage sensing circuit, and an alarm operatively connected to the microprocessor and activated by the microprocessor when the battery voltage as sensed by the battery voltage sensing circuit drops to or below a predetermined threshold. 12. A barometer as recited in claim 11 wherein the alarm is also activated, in a different mode than when the battery voltage drops, or a second alarm is activated, if the pressure change between two or more substantially consecutive pressure readings is greater than a predetermined threshold. 13. A barometer as recited in claim 5 wherein the microprocessor controls the battery so that the battery is substantially in an inactive mode more than 95% of the time. 14. A barometer as recited in claim 5 wherein the d.c. motor comprises a motor with feedback so that the microprocessor has the ability to accurately control shaft placement by rotating the shaft in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction. 15. A barometer as recited in claim 5 wherein the d.c. motor comprises a stepper motor. 16. A barometer as recited in claim 5 further comprising a second dial, and a second pointer having a second shaft operatively connected to a second d.c. motor with positional feedback, and the second motor connected to the battery; and wherein the microprocessor records pressure transducer readings over an extended period of time and controls the second d.c. motor to position the second pointer with respect to the second shaft to indicate atmospheric pressure trends. 17. A barometer as recited in claim 5 wherein the battery comprises a single about 3.6 volt lithium battery, or two or more about 1.5 volt alkaline batteries. 18. An environmental condition indicator comprising: a dial with fluid pressure, temperature, or humidity related indicia;, a pointer operatively connected to a shaft for movement with respect to the dial; a pressure, temperature, or humidity transducer positioned to sense fluidic pressure, temperature, or humidity, respectively; a d.c. motor with positional feedback operatively connected to the pointer shaft; a microprocessor; and a battery; the transducer, d.c. motor, and battery operatively connected to the microprocessor so that the microprocessor controls movement of the motor with power supplied by the battery in response changes in an environmental condition sensed by the transducer, the motor in turn accurately changing the position of the pointer with respect to the indicia on the dial; and the transducer, battery, microprocessor, and d.c. motor mounted in a housing operatively connected to the back of the dial, the housing having dimensions of approximately 2⅛ by 2⅛ by ⅝ inches [5.4��5.4��1.6 cm], with the pointer shaft extending outwardly from the housing past the dial. 19. An indicator as recited in claim 18 wherein the dial has a diameter of at least about 10 inches [25 cm], and the pointer has a radius of at least about 5 inches [12.5 cm] and a weight of at least about 0.4 grams. 20. An indicator as recited in claim 18 further comprising an alarm, and battery voltage sensing circuitry, mounted within the housing and operatively connected to the microprocessor and activated by the microprocessor when the battery voltage, as sensed by the circuitry, drops to or below a predetermined threshold; and wherein the microprocessor controls the battery so that the battery is substantially in an inactive mode more than 90% of the time.