Introduction: 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.
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9 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
Here is a post on how to display 4 digits on a 8x8 bi-color LED matrix:
http://timewitharduino.blogspot.ca/2012/01/mixiclo...
12 years ago on Introduction
Superb. Unique. Beautiful. Thank YOU
13 years ago on Introduction
Wow how mahy wires,bravoooo
My links and my clocks:
http://macoprojects.blogspot.com/
youtub
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
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.
13 years ago on Introduction
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.)
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
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.
13 years ago on Introduction
Sounds like i could be Antonio Forcione, but it may be a bit subdued for him...
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
The music is Erik Mongrain - Air Tap. Fantastic guitarist - Check him out on YouTube.
13 years ago on Introduction
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.