DIY TiX Clock

Here's my instructable for a DIY TiX clock.  It is powered by an AVR microcontroller.  The display is made up using a piece of reflector grid you find covering office lights, some smoked perspex, a diffuser and a bunch of LED's.  The Idea came from the Tix clocks you can buy at various places on the web, but nothing beats making it yourself.  It is a talking point in the lounge and once you are used to reading it, you can tell the time in a jiffy.

Step 1: The Electronics

The first prototype was made using Vero strip board.  The layout on strip board is fairly straight forward.  The Transistors in the top left are row drivers and the IC's on the right are  transistor arrays that are the column drivers (see circuit diagram at the end of instructable for more info).  This allows me to get a bit more current to the LEDs to make them brighter.  The Transistor array IC's can be replaced with transistors if you like.  You will find circuit diagrams and software at the end of this instructable with which I have included an Eagle PCB layout design as well for a single sided board that combines the controller and display board into one.

Note that if you etch your own PCB the LED's are mounted as normal thru hole components but the IC's, links and other components are placed on the copper side of the board.  The LED's and links will need to be mounted first as the AVR covers some of the LED solder points.  Details in the pictures.

Comments

[Neph1x]

Where i can change blinking time, i wanna make it faster...this is a little bit slow for me..which variable you use for that....Thank you!

[gweeds]

Hi there, after you set the time there is an option to change the blinking time. it cycles in the setup between 1, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 seconds. The actual variable that holds this delay time is "Delayvalue". The code sets it to a default of 5 just after all the Pattern definitions.

[Grumpy Mike]

What limits the current through the LEDs?
Is this not going to burn out the LEDs and / or the drivers?

[gweeds]

Nothing does, to get maximum brightness I drive the LEDs with all the current they can source, but because they are multiplexed, they don't burn out. It is quite common to drive LED matrix displays this way to get more brightness. The clock has been running 24/7 since its inception in 2002, never crashed, never needed repair.

[mofassir]

can you please tell me what the JP1 in the schematic is, this is my first time making something so i would appreciate the help

[gweeds]

Hi there, JP1 is the main power connector. 5v DC. you can make this a proper DC plug style, or a 2 pin header or just solder the wires to the board.
JP2 is the programming connector

[mofassir]

thanks, i actually wanted to know how to implement the JP2. for now i have made the connections as specified on the bread board. in place of the JP2 i have simple use the electrically linked vertical column. i hope that will work.

[pinchharmonic]

Hi,

Although I have experience doing this kind of stuff back in college, I don't recall how generally to power the breadboard or your board in this case. Did you use a battery? Or is it plugged into the wall with some AC to DC converter between?

[gweeds]

I run everything of 5v, using either a wall plug or in the case of a breadboard, I have chopped up a USB lead and just use the 5v from that supplied by the computer.

[WakeUpWolfgang]

You can use both. Find a 5v dc transformer if you want to use the wall or use a battery pack. If I do this I would go with the transformer so I will not have to keep changing batteries but it would also be nice to have batteries for when the power goes out.

[aessam1]

really nice
this is the first time i see this kind of this clock
was it 12:34 then 12:35?
did i read it right?

[gweeds]

Thanks, yeah the time in the picture and the start of the video is 12:34

[Fouzen]

Hi, I am having trouble finding the TD62304 Darlington Transistor Arrays IC(I live in Singapore). Do you have any other useful alternatives?

[aessam1]

this clock is better than normal digital clocks
i will try to make one like it

[astroboy907]

How big/where can you get reflector? I think this would be awesome to make a big LED sign :)

[gweeds]

Hi there, yes it would make a good base for a LED sign, you can get bigger spaced ones too. Just google eggcrate reflector. This is one supplier, but they sell in bulk: http://www.goodmart.com/products/louvers-intl-para-image-plastic-eggcrate-2-x-4-black-styrene-lipl21-24bf.htm

Building recyclers should have them by the dozen, hey even check the huge bins when they are refurbishing a building, you might get some for free!

[astroboy907]

Theyre kinda expensive...

My (possible) attempt will be to cut card-stock in lines and wrap in foil, and make a grid... Will be able to fit more LEDS in a smaller space, and it should work the *same*

[astroboy907]

oh wait misunderstood the prices.... so this would have 1/2 by 1/2 in holes, 3/8 in high? So about 44 holes x 44 holes? I need just 24x10 :)

[Alberss]

Hi.
Very nice clock indeed.
I noticed that you only supply the .bas file in the zip.
To get the HEX file to program into the AVR, you will need the BASCOM (?) compiler to produce the HEX file.

Could you also supply the HEX file for the AVR?

As for the square grids, you prob could use those square led matrixes, sold on eBay or @ Sparkfun.

Thanks,
Stephen

[gweeds]

Thanks, in the final step there is a link to the hex file. You should be able to use any AVR programmer to load that into the AVR.

[astroboy907]

Great project- ive never seen this type of clock before. I might try to make a clock before the contest ends, it all depends on if my hardware gets here in time, but could I add something to the clock that will function like this?

[gweeds]

Thanks, what are you willing to add?

[astroboy907]

er.. not to yours but to mine- Im thinking of making a 24x10 LED display and adding digital, binary, 24 clocks, etc... so I might add TiX to that- and instead of having the different colored lights, just light up blocks of LEDs :)

[herehere]

Could you tell us how much do you spent?
Where do you bought the square reflector?On internet I can't find it :(

[gweeds]

Hi there, to find a supplier for the reflector do a google for "flourescent egg crate"

As for the cost, its hard to say, some of bits like the reflector I had lying around, along with the transistors and IC's.

You can buy LED's quite cheaply on the likes of E-Bay etc. So I can't really put a dollar figure on it.

[tyler303047]

Where did you get your materials?
P.S. I live in America.

[gweeds]

Hi there, the perspex sheet can be bought from any good plastic materials supplier, hardware shop or hobby shop. As for the reflector do a search for "flourescent egg crate" on google, it turns out a lot of people use it for diffusing light in their fish tanks.

[tana_173]

sorry can you tell me which program to use for
PCB, show me which are TD62034 (look
the data sheet and nothing)
that code can be used to program in any program IC?
please give me the number of IC1.

[gweeds]

To make the PCB I used Eagle - http://www.cadsoftusa.com/

And sorry about the TD62034, My dyslexia kicked in, the correct part number is TD62304, it has been corrected in the diagram and parts list.

you can find data on it here: http://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/pdf/32264/TOSHIBA/TD62304AF.html

[herehere]

Hi!
Excuse me can you tell me how do you programme the clock, via usb?

[gweeds]

Hi there, you can program the clock using any Atmel AVR programming method, STK-200, STK-500, Pony Prog, or any USB Programmer.

[Treknology]

I love it. Yes, I would mod it slightly to suit my own taste but, unlike a binary display you don't have to stand there for half an hour explaining to people how to read it.

[aessam1]

LOL
:D

[gweeds]

Have added bascom code in HTML format and a HEX file of code so you can program your own AVR without the need for Bascom

[mikerosati]

I would second a parts list, even simply pcb components at least :) - And great job - I've seen TIX clocks for the last few years, and have wondered more than once about making a giant wall version for my office - this may make me do it :)

[gweeds]

Due to popular request, I have added a parts list to the last step. :-)

[esdad697]

Where do you get the square reflector, a diffuser and smoked Perspex window? How are they assembled?

[gweeds]

The square reflector is the stuff they use in office building flouro lights. You should be able to get a sheet from any plastic/perspex supplier. Perhaps even building recyclers. For a diffuser you can use tracing paper. The smoked or tinted perspex can again be found at any plastic materials provider. Some electronics stores carry it as well. To assemble lay the square reflector on top of the PCB with the leds, followed by the diffuser and the perspex window on top of that.

[gweeds]

see here:
http://www.eplastics.com/Plastic/Lighting_Diffusers

[atterack833]

holy crap thats awsome , when i first saw it i was all like why do you need 3 lights at the first part then i realized that it swiches the patern but the numbers are the same , i dont think i will ever be able to build this but i am verry amazed by it and i want one (i cant solder good or wire up pcb boards also i wouldnt be able to get the chips , good show though take a bow man take a bow

[frank26080115]

That construction is slick!

I also like your Christmas countdown ball thing, it's cute

[Feats]

I can't understand the first part :(

[gweeds]

Which part would you like clarification on?

[cubeberg]

Very Nice! Could you post a parts list?