A few weeks ago, [HariFun] set out to emulate a 7-segment display with an LED matrix. Seems easy enough, right? Right. He also wanted to come up with a new way to transition between digits, which is a much harder task. But he did it, and it’s really cool. At a viewer’s suggestion, [Hari] used the transition as the basis for a mesmerizing clock that brings the smooth sweep of an analog second-hand into the digital age.
This is the coolest way to watch the time pass since the hourglass. You can almost hear the light move as one digit slides into the next. Each transition is totally unique, so depending on the digit this involves one or more vertical segments sliding from right to left, or multiple segments moving in a counter-clockwise circle.
You too can watch time glide by with little more than a 64×32 RGB LED matrix, a NodeMCU, and [Hari]’s digit transition code. It only costs about $25 to build, and you really can’t beat the quality of instruction he’s put together. Take a second or two and check it out after the break.
If you prefer OLEDs and vertical transitions, there’s a clock for that, too.
Continue reading “Morphing Digital Clock Will Show You A Good Time”