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]
cool.
I wonder what his reason is for using IC sockets on a breadboard… o.O
so if you damage a pin, you haven’t wasted an ic?
The music isn’t Antonio Forcione, is it, by any chance?
@jωt: I guess, but that’s not usually a danger with breadboards if you’re careful.
It’s awesome!
I’ll copy this concept to my cellphone’s clock right away! :)
Great post Mike!
Now im thinking about making a new-year counter in that style :D
imagen running those dots like snakes/nibbles in their quadrants.
The music is Erik Mongraine and Air Tap! – Fantastic guitarist.
Not legal in Boston. :-)
Glad you like it guys. I use IC sockets so that the pins don’t get damaged.
The music is Erik Mongrain – Air Tap.
I do intend on making the schematic and code available soon on my website.
That’s an interesting concept. Once you figure out how it works, its really cool.
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.
Is that like CockBlok?