Arduino Clock

2022

C++, Arduino, Electronics, DIY

I have always admired and been interested in electronics and time-keeping devices. After browsing over some DIY time-keeping devices, I decided to try my hand on making a clock. Having a natural interest in C/C++ and casually using arduino boards, this project felt natural and allowed me to deepen my knowledge about electronics and develop C++ code for an embedded device. Besides that, it made it easier to explore I2C, a communication protocol between electronic components. The watch has sensors and actuators.

Challenges

• Design the circuit.
• Selection of right components.
• Program the clock functions and screens.

After reaching a certain point I came to the realization that the RTC I had was not appropriate for the final implementation that I had in mind: make it run solely on an ATmega328P and other loose components, discarding the need to use the Arduino board. Since that was not possible due to my RTC (Real Time Clock component) choice, I decided to move on to another project after making it work with the Arduino board.

Circuit diagram.

Final thoughts

This project was lots of fun. I have learned a lot from it and surely confirmed my interest in low-level programming and designing code and systems taht work efficiently.