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The BlokClok Concept - Arduino driven RGB Abstract Clock

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.
8 comments
Jul 27, 2010. 5:38 PMiectyx3c says:
Superb. Unique. Beautiful. Thank YOU
Sep 22, 2009. 11:03 AMmacobt says:
Wow how mahy wires,bravoooo

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

youtub
Sep 21, 2009. 5:54 AMAndyGadget says:
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.)
Sep 21, 2009. 12:31 PMnutwiss says:
Sounds like i could be Antonio Forcione, but it may be a bit subdued for him...
Sep 21, 2009. 9:36 AMjhines0042 says:
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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Author:earthshine
Hi, my name is Mike and I am from London, England. I really like to make things and in particular like to do creative things with Arduinos and electronics. Other hobbies include astrophotography and s...
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