Introduction: Childs Neopixel Sunrise Alarm Clock
This is a simple alarm clock that switches between a day and a night image so children who can't tell the time know when it's acceptable to get up in the morning. It was thrown together out of necessity when I realised I had left our real clock at grannies. I thought I would share the details here though in case anyone else wants to try a clock for their own child.
Components:
- Arduino Nano V3.0
- 16 LED NeoPixel Ring
- DS1307 Real Time Clock
- Mobile Phone Charge power supply
Wiring:
- Power for the whole arrangement comes through the USB connection
5V, GND from both the RTC and the Neopixel Ring are connected to the Arduino. - Data in from the Neopixel Ring connects to Digital input 2 on the Arduino
- SCL of the RTC goes to Analogue input 5 on the Arduino
- SDA of the RTC goes to Analogue input 4 on the Arduino
Libraries:
- Wire Library - for connecting to the RTC with I2C
- DS1307RTC Library - for understanding what the RTC says over I2C
- Time Library - lets the Arduino understand times
- TimeAlarms Library - executes functions at specific times/intervals
- FastLED Library - for communicating with the NeoPixel ring
Code:
Full source is available for download from here
- The first lines of the setup function define the time that the alarm will go off
- The RTC and Neopixel ring are initialised
- Two alarms are created, one at the time previously specified another an hour later
- The main loop of the program does nothing except create a delay that keeps the timer ticking
- LightsOn function, creates the short sunshine animation when the alarm goes off
- LightsOff function, switches the LED's back to night time colour
2 Discussions
3 years ago
So i built the sunrise clock but im having a little trouble with the alarm. when i set the alarm nothing happens at the set time. (i set the board time before uploading your program and could read correct time)
when i power it up it runs the sun rise effect. cycling through the led's.
When i power it up
6 years ago on Introduction
This looks relatively simple, yet brilliant!
I need something like this for a couple of my kids. For weekend mornings.
(Why do they get up so damn early?!)