APTechnologies

Simple and elegant. Nice work!

There seems to be an empty loop there, must be a mistake. You can comment out that whole loop (line 197, 198, 199) and see if that works.

Thanks!I am working on making them available to purchase. You can email me and I will add you to the preorder list! aptechnologies.se@gmail.com

I did not realize that you could get betteraccuracy because there was no way to search for it in Digikeys parametricsearch. But you’re right that accuracy is important. Will look into it for apotential Version 2!

That is correct when displaying the time. But when using the stopwatch function all of the LEDs are used because it is counting minutes in the leftmost column. Plus the symmetry of having 4x4 LED grid looks really nice in my opinion :)

I was thinking buttons on the display, since it is touch. Would need a nice graphic inteface for that though.

Interesting idea! Would certainly be a more efficient solution than typing in commands for adding and subtracting every time.

I plan on having a few colors to choose from, maybe a white or a black. If you need a custom color, email me at aptechnologies.se@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do!

It usually takes about a week with the fast shipping option. I have never had any problems with the quality from them.

Thank you.I am currently working on a version 2 with some improvements. When that design is finished, it will be available to purchase.

Thanks!I am working on a version 2 with some final improvements. It will be available to purchase in the future. It might take a little while though.

It is in "Date Mode" in that photo. So it shows 26-04 (26 of April). It should have been displayed in a different color to distinguish it from the time mode. Bad color choice on my part.

The first picture in Step 12 shows 21:04. The other picture in step 12 shows the date 26-04 (26:th of April). They should have been displayed in different colors to make it more clear.

That is actually the main purpose of this system. If you read the paragraph titled "The Idea" under "Step 1: The Idea!" you will get a good overview of the system functionality. Also, the last 4 images under "Step 10: Conclusion" show the location LED lighting up whenever a component search is conducted.The RGB animations (when all LEDs are lit up) are mostly for fun when the system is not in use.

Yes, the idea is to transmit and receive data from the autopilot on-board which handles the stabilization. So I think it might be a viable solution. Thanks!

Well done on the project. I really like that control interface!Question: What is the control latency / video latency like on your setup? I have thought about using a similar 4G control system for a semi-autonomous RC airplane project, but I am not sure if the latency will make the aircraft uncontrollable.

SOLARBOI is awesome! Totally something I would build one day.

I think a proper database would be a great addition to this project. As well as a GUI for a clean looking interface, just like in your project. I will look in to adding it in the future.And the article turned out great! Thank you for writing it.

What a fun project!I would add 4G connectivity to the rover for long distance missions.

What an awesome and well-documented project! Good work.

Interesting Idea!That would be more efficient than searching through the system trying to find a specific drawer to modify.

Thank you!I figured that the keyboard solution would work best for mypurposes. But modifying this system to be voice controlled is totally possiblewith an audio module for the Raspberry Pi and some code changes.

For updating the firmware you will need an external USB-Serial converter, an external Arduino will also work. You can then use the Micro USB port on the PCB to connect the 5V, TX, RX, GND and RESET lines to the programmer/Arduino.

I am unable to upload .zip files or folders with the library since Instructables does not allow that. I have added a note with where to download the libraries.

You are welcome!

I will!

Thank you!The stability from unit to unit is certainly something worthtaking into consideration. I am thinking about swapping microcontrollers to onewith direct USB support (ATmega32u4 for example). That will allow for mucheasier firmware updates and reprogramming for the end user. Also, I willprobably downclock the microcontroller to 8MHz and run it at 3.3 - 3.7V. Thatway the DC-DC converter can be eliminated and therefor increasing the efficiency,decreasing the parts count, lower the EMI, etc.

I am unable to upload the .zip with the gerbers. Please email me at aptechnologies.se@gmail.com and I will send them to you.

Thank you!The limiting factor forincreasing the number of LEDs is the DC-DC converter output current. Ithink 20 LEDs would work if you decrease the brightness. Otherwise, you might runinto stability issues.

The source code can be downloaded from the Instructable as well as the schematic and other files.

Thank you!The stencil was manufactured together with the PCB at the factory.

It does show the current date but it might be interesting to add a calendar for the whole year, maybe with the options to set alarms on different dates. That would be quite the programming challenge. I might leave that one for all the programmers out there to figure out.

Thank you!I have tried a conformal coating on the PCB and it works great. It does change the look of the watch since the PCB becomes more reflective and (in my opinion) does not look as clean. But it might be worth the tradeoff for weather resistance.

The Altium file format is unfortunatelynot supported here. Email me at aptechnologies.se@gmail.comand I will send it to you.

Thank you for taking the time to read it! :)

Thank you!

It takes 1-2hours to 3D-print, solder, assemble, program and test a single unit.

Thank you!

Thank you!They are currently not for sale, but I am considering it.

Thank you for the feedback!

Thank you for the feedback!Downclocking and running at a lower voltage wascertainly in consideration but I opted not to, mainly because the FastLED libraryhas had previous issues running on a slower clock. I believe these issues havebeen resolved but did not want to take the risk due to limited R&D budget. Also, it is unclear if the APA102 LED:s would bestable at 3v3. The datasheet does not specify a lower voltage limit.I will try to work around these issues and avoidusing a converter if I ever design a new version of the watch. It would increasethe power efficiency, decrease the part count and result in lower EMI noise.

Thank you!The Bill Of Material cost is around 20USD to manufacture in single quantity. Will post an update if I decide to sell them.

They are currently not for sale but I am considering it depending on the demand.

Thank you for the feedback!I used mosfets that were recommended in the datasheet (CSD16406Q3) to avoid anyissues. There are probably others that you could use but I didn’t want to risk nothaving proper battery protection because of incorrectly chosen mosfets.

I will upload a video within a few days!

Thank you for the feedback. I am consideringselling them either as kits or fully built.

Thank you!

Instructables does not allowme to upload the original PCB or Schematic Altium Designer files. For anyonewho is interested, please send an email to aptechnologies.se@gmail.com and Ican email them to you.