RGB Box Clock

This is a clock and decorative RGB Led Matrix

It's controlled by a Colorduino Shield and NodeMCU v3 Board using i2C communication.

With Blynk app you can setup the alarm,change colors and other things.

Parts list is:

LoLin V3 NodeMcu Lua CH340G ESP8266 Board 6€ Link

Colorduino V2.0 + 2088RGB-5 8x8 Matrix 10€ Link

Touch Button 1€ Link

Active Buzzer 1€ Link

PLA Printer Plastic 2€

Total price is about 20€

Step 1: Print the Box

Parts available on Thingiverse

Printing setup:

• layer resolution 0.15
• infill of 25%
• 1.75mm PLA plastic

Supports, depend the part:

• Frontal.stl > Use supports
• Trasera_Superior.stl > Designed with part, don't use support generation.
• Trasera_Inferior.stl > Designed with part, don't use support generation.
• Frontal_Marc.stl > Don't use supports
• Frontal_Matriu.stl > Don't use supports

Once printed, remove gently the supports.

Be aware that the bolts holes are done only for Lolin NodeMCU v3, any other board will not fit into the holes.

All box printed parts must be kept together without glue or bolts.

Step 2: Mount the Parts

Everything must fit easily.

For the matrix cover find some kind of plastic sheet or just paper.

Step 3: Do the Wiring

Follow the schematics in the image, is quite easy.

There's a hole to install a little piece put together all the main power supply, I used a cutted prototyping PCB but you can use whatever you want.

Step 4: Programming the NodeMCU and Colorduino

Both are coded on Arduino IDE

For NodeMCU v3 Lolin

You'll need following Libraries

• EEPROM.h
• Wire
• Timelib.h
• ESP8266Wifi.h
• ESP8266WebServer.h
• TimeLib.h
• Blynk libraries

For Colorduino (or icDuino)

You'll need following Libraries

Use Colorduino.cpp library to have better performance (don't needed, just change the highlighted lines shown at the picture with code)

Colorduino boards and derivatives like icDuino (is what I used) is a Duemilanove or Decimilia MCU, so configure arduino IDE to load the code.

Step 5: Blynk App Setup

Download Blynk App on your phone or tablet

Clone the project with the QR code on the first image.

Step 6: And Play With It

Some references:

https://123led.wordpress.com/colorduino/

http://blog.lincomatic.com/?p=148

https://github.com/giladaya/arduino-particle-sys

http://www.sinaptec.alomar.com.ar/2017/06/tutorial...

Thank you all!

Comments

[Paul_123]

Hi,
I am having a lot of trouble with compiling the Node MCU code in Arduino IDE. I am getting always Errors that a Library is not included, but I installed everyone you mentioned. Any Help would be great. Could you Upload the Binaries for the Node MCU script?
Thanks in Advance

[Manteniendo]

HI Paul,
NodeMCU Binaries will not work for you, as the Blynk Token written on the source code is linked to my Blynk account, you need to modify the source code and create your own Token.

Give me more information, send me the full error output to check if can find something.

[Paul_123]

Thanks for your answer. I think i messed sth. up with the Libraries. It's my first time with arduino. Could you possibly send me the links to the libraries so i can add them? That would be great
Thanks a lot

[Manteniendo]

Hí Paul, I have to recheck everything and try to recompile because I'm using a new computer, this is a quite old project... give me some days, or weeks, (sorry I'm really busy now)
I give you an answer as soon as I can.

[JoeH202]

Hi,
This project looks great!

I tried compiling the icDuino sketch in IDE with board Duemilanove/Atmega 328P, but it looks like I run out of memory with the following error:
"Global variables use 3367 bytes (164%) of dynamic memory, leaving -1319 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2048 bytes."

I think it's unrelated, but I had to remove the 'extern' keyword to get it to compile after seeing this error:

C:\icDuino_RGBMatrix_20180604/icDuino_RGBMatrix_20180604.ino:322: undefined reference to `numbers'

Thanks for any help you could provide.

[Manteniendo]

Has been a while since I did this project...

I compiled mine today and this is the compilation output "Global variables use 1545 bytes (75%) of dynamic memory, leaving 503 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2048 bytes." totally different values.

I remember dealing with something similar but I don't remember how I solve this problem nor which was the cause. Sorry being so unhelpful. If I had to bet, I'll check that all the libraries versions are OK or perhaps the compiler version itself

If you want at https://mega.nz/folder/zcFwkRZa#23fQ0-lhHm9osJktzeQLmQ you can find the compiled binaries... you could try if this work for you

[Oli3]

Hey! Thanks for this article & code, really interesting.
I've set everything up and have managed to compile and flash to a node mcu, but i don't quite get the blynk side of thing. I have got an auth code, added it into the code - i can see the nodemcu talking out to the cloud, but it comes back with invalid auth code everytime, and the device never shows as online in the blynk app.

Any ideas what i might be missing? Im new to blynk, so still trying to get my head around that side of it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Manteniendo]

Hi Oli,

Sorry but no idea , setting up blynk connection is as easy as getting the auth code on the app (see added image)

Could you paste a screen capture of the error?

Regards!

[Oli3]

Worked it out, i had an old version of the blynk library. Got that side of it sorted and connected to Blynk, now realised i think i missed fashing the colorduino, its just stuck on its demo program. I presume i need to find my FTDI then will have more luck.

Cheers for the reply!

[Manteniendo]

Glad to read that, will be great if you post some pictures of yours :)

[BikerAfloat]

Dear Manteniendo,

Do you have a schematic for this project please also what function does the button have?

Thanks in advance,
Geoff.

[Manteniendo]

8 months later... Finally I've done the schematics! :')

[BikerAfloat]

Excellent , thank you

[Manteniendo]

You're welcome!

[Manteniendo]

No, sorry :( I don't have the schematics, but following the arduino code is easy to find out how it work.

The function of the button is to cycle through the different modes of the clock.

I'll try to do the schematics some day, I don't have time now

[BikerAfloat]

Thank you for your reply, I'll look through the code.

[BrianP183]

Has anyone made this? I having a lot of trouble compiling the Colorduino code.

Any help appreciated

[Manteniendo]

Hi Brian,

Any missing library?
Which is the output error during compilation?

Regards!

[BrianP183]

Hi Mainteniendo, thanks so much for getting back to me. I am 99% finished on this project, all parts printed etc, just cant compile the Colorduino section. Originally I was getting a ColorFill underfined or something like that using a early version of the library. 1.1 from memory. I later found ColorFill was only implemented in 1.2.3 so tried using 1.2.4 all the way to 1.2.7 which throw up more errors relating to "numbers" "pic" etc also tried changing the ide from 1.5 to 1.6 to 1.8 and the latest.
I'm sure its something to do with finding the magic combination, could you please tell me what versions you used ? ide, colorduino lib and Particle System Lib.
Thanks

[Manteniendo]

Hi Brian,

I recompiled today everything and compiled fine with:

Arduino IDE 1.8.10

Node MCU:

EEPROM versión 1.0
Wire versión 1.0
ESP8266WiFi versión 1.0
ESP8266WebServer versión 1.0
Time-master versión 1.5
Blynk versión 0.6.1

icDuino:

Colorduino-master versión 1.2.6
Wire versión 1.0
Particle-System: I don't know the version but I downloaded it from here: https://github.com/giladaya/arduino-particle-sys

I remember having some issues, a long time ago, with compilation in some point of programming of my RGBBox but I'm not able to remember which was the solution neither the exact issue, sorry :(

Tell me if you find out what is happening, but I think you're right and has to be something related with a bad library or similar.