Introduction: IoT Smart Clock Dot Matrix Use Wemos ESP8266 - ESP Matrix

By Bluino
About: I am Bluino Electronics.

Make your own IoT Smart Clock that can:

  • Display Clock with a beautiful animation icon
  • Display Reminder-1 to Reminder-5
  • Display Calendar
  • Display Muslim Prayer times
  • Display Weather information
  • Display News
  • Display Advice
  • Display Bitcoin rate
  • Display Instructables Followers & Views counter
  • Display Twitter follower counter
  • Display Facebook Page like counter
  • Display Instagram follower counter
  • Display Youtube Subscribers (realtime) & Views counter

Easy to build just need a Wemos D1 Mini and MAX7219 LED Dot Matrix Panel. No need programming skill no need Laptop/PC to program Wemos ESP8266 microcontroller, just need Android phone to upload sketch/firmware to Wemos via USB OTG.

It runs completely autonomously and be configured and controlled via an Android app, with the app you can configure and setting IoT Smart Clock (ESPMatrix) device very easy with a simple interface.

Step 1: Things Needed

Here are the things that you will need to make ESP Matrix:

  • Wemos D1 Mini - ESP8266
  • MAX7219 LED Dot Matrix Panel
  • Dupont cable - Included in LED Dot Matrix Panel
  • OTG Adapter
  • Micro USB cable
  • 3D Printed Case
  • Pieces of transparent colored Acrylic 129x32x3mm
  • Android phone (Installed ESP Matrix app)

Step 2: Modify Pin

1) Remove the LED Dot matrix component in the first column that have the soldered header pin on pcb.

2) Twisted all male pin headers 180° using long-nose pliers, so that they point inward.

Step 3: Wiring

1) Cut half of the existing dupont cable, so it becomes around 10cm.

2) Connect female header on dupont cable with male header on LED Dot matrix panel, see picture.

3) Separate the cable into two parts, 2 cables for VCC & GND, 3 cables for CLK DS & DIN. then enter into the hole on the pcb, see picture.

Step 4: Before Soldering

1) Peel the end of the cable using a wire stripper tools.

2) Then cover all ends of the cable with tin.

Step 5: Soldering

1) Solder to connect CLK to D5, CS to D6 & DIN to D7.

2) Solder to connect VCC to 5V & GND to G.

Step 6: Putting It All Together

You can use double sided tape, to glue between the Wemos and the LED Dot matrix panel, see the picture. Also reinstall the LED Dot matrix component which is in first step removed

Step 7: Placing to the 3D Printed Case

This 3d printed case is design more slim and pressing to make it look solid and robust, so to install it is not so easy need a little pressed.

ESP matrix can be made in two sizes, a short 32x8 pixel of LED use 1 panel LED Dot matrix and a long 64x8 pixels of LED use 2 panel LED dot matrix, so to make a 3D printed case depends on your choice.

- STL file for a short 32x8

- STL file for a long 64x8

Step 8: Add Acrylic

To make the light of the LEDs be more clear and diffused, on the LED surface add black transparent colored acrylic.

There are two sizes of acrylic:

- A short: 129x32x3mm.

- A long: 257x32x3mm

Step 9: Programming

1) To program the Wemos ESP8266 (ESP Matrix) very simple, you only need to connect Wemos (ESP Matrix) to an Android phone via a micro usb cable and OTG adapter, see picture.

2) Then install the ESP Matrix app from Google Playstore. https://goo.gl/b9YAth

3) In the first welcome screen tap UPLOAD button.

Step 10: App Interface for Configuration

After programming is complete then it is necessary to set some parameters of the devices:

1) Connect ESP Matrix device to network internet using app.

2) You need Sign-up to get an API key from openweathermap.org, then copy the your API key to the weather option in app.

3) You need City ID from openweathermap.org, eg.2643743 for London, then copy the your City ID to the weather option in app.

Step 11: Make a Long Type 64x8

If you feel dissatisfied with the short type because you can only see short messages, so you can make the long type the length of the size two times longer. For more details you can follow the tutorial in this video.

Step 12: Enjoy

Hopefully you enjoy your ESP Matrix. If you do, please share your makes, share the link, like and subscribe. As always, if you have any questions please let me know!