The BlokClok Concept - Arduino driven RGB Abstract Clock

 by earthshine
video The BlokClok Concept - Arduino driven RGB Abstract Clock
Arduino driven clock concept. Unique concept using an 8x8 RGB Dot Matrix Display. The time is indicated using blocks of colour. The central 6x6 grid is split into 4 x (3x3) grids and each 3x3 block is a different colour. The number of LED's per 3x3 grid indicate the digit. i.e. if the first 3x3 grid has 1 LED lit then the first digit is 1, the second has 7 then the 2nd digit is 7, etc. The top two grids are the hour digits and the bottom 2 the minutes. Around the edge the unused LED's have a moving light that shows the approximate position of the seconds.

The display is driven by 4 x 74HC595 Shift Registers controlled from the Arduino. Each register controls a colour (r, g & B) with the final register multiplexing the rows. The time is obtained from an DS1307 Real Time Clock chip with battery backup so that the device can be powered down and will resume at the correct time when powered back up again.
iectyx3c says: Jul 27, 2010. 5:38 PM
Superb. Unique. Beautiful. Thank YOU
macobt says: Sep 22, 2009. 11:03 AM
Wow how mahy wires,bravoooo

My links and my clocks:
http://macoprojects.blogspot.com/

youtub
Picture 004.jpgc5.JPGImage.jpg
earthshine (author) in reply to macobtSep 22, 2009. 11:10 AM
Nice clocks!! Yes the wires are a 'rats nest' right now but then it is a prototype. Once i've made a nice schematic for it (including the current limiting resistors of course) I will make a nice and small PCB for it.
AndyGadget says: Sep 21, 2009. 5:54 AM
Interesting . . . Alternative ways of displaying the time are always fascinating. I'm not so sure about the random blocks for each digit. It must make the clock harder to read than it would be if you had a fixed symbol for each number. As you say, it's hard to distinguish the colours on the video - What colour is showing the seconds. (BTW, who's the guitarist.)
earthshine (author) in reply to AndyGadgetSep 21, 2009. 1:36 PM
You're the 2nd person to say that. I like the random dots it means you get random 'art' too. It would be relatively easy to make the clock have 2 modes, one with a random LED placement and one with set patterns. The colour for the seconds is white. The colours don't show up very well on my crappy camcorder i'm afraid.
nutwiss says: Sep 21, 2009. 12:31 PM
Sounds like i could be Antonio Forcione, but it may be a bit subdued for him...
earthshine (author) in reply to nutwissSep 21, 2009. 1:35 PM
The music is Erik Mongrain - Air Tap. Fantastic guitarist - Check him out on YouTube.
jhines0042 says: Sep 21, 2009. 9:36 AM
Very cool that you built this and it is obvious you put a lot of time into it.

Here is something similar from Think Geek that I own. http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/7437/ And yes, it confuses the heck out of anyone who looks at it and says, "thats a clock?"

Joe H.
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