BlokClok – Abstract Time Display

blokclok_abstract_time_display

Clocks made from blinking LEDs always make for fun projects. [Earthshine] built a clock that displays time abstractly using an 8×8 RGB LED matrix. The video embedded after the break illustrates how to read the time but here’s the gist of it: One LED is illuminated in the outside box of LEDs and moved in a clockwise motion to approximate seconds. Inside of this, there are four quadrants; upper left indicates hour-tens digit, upper right hour-ones, lower left minute-tens, and lower right minute-ones. This certainly makes for an interesting conversation piece!

There is no schematic and no code available but it’s really the concept that we’re interested in. If you must know, [Earthshine] bases this build around an Arduino. A DS1307 real time clock keeps the time, while four 74HC595 shift registers are utilized to control the three LED colors and the multiplexing.

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/6668031]

13 thoughts on “BlokClok – Abstract Time Display

  1. Hi,
    I like the idea of abstract clocks using colours, and using an 8×8 is pretty cool, I look forward to the schematics.
    If you have a large one abstract clocks are less intrusive than numeric clocks in a room, and less brain teasing than binary clocks.
    FYI I did something similar using charlieplexing here:
    http://www.instructables.com/id/Minidot-2—The-holoclock/
    and it’s tiny brother:
    http://www.instructables.com/id/Microdot—wrist-watch-LED-pattern-timepiece/
    I’ve got a couple of 8×8 RGB modules….and have been looking for an application for them. I wonder if charlieplexing can be done using them to reduce part count.

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