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FrozenGate by Avery
Epic Huge RGB Digital Clock
- Thread starter Things
- Start date
We have grains of sand!
Now just waiting on the main IC's and the PCBs, both of which have been express shipped.
Also to note, I made a error in the PCB design and put pulldown resistors instead of pullup, forgetting the WS2801 is an open collector output. Luckily I had forgotten to send the PCB manu the outline file, so I was able to re-do the board and send it off again
I have also added solderable jumpers for the Polarity pin:
Dan
Now just waiting on the main IC's and the PCBs, both of which have been express shipped.
Also to note, I made a error in the PCB design and put pulldown resistors instead of pullup, forgetting the WS2801 is an open collector output. Luckily I had forgotten to send the PCB manu the outline file, so I was able to re-do the board and send it off again
I have also added solderable jumpers for the Polarity pin:
Dan
n2stuff
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It's about TIME you get this project going again:crackup:
Pilgor
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any updates?
Oops, promised pics and never delivered!
These actually the old revision of the boards they accidentally sent me, so the look a bit bodgy as I wanted to just test one out
I have new boards already though, just gotta wait for them from the old house.
As you can see, I had to stand the resistors up on their ends and solder wires around them to V+. On this wrong board they're accidentally pulled to ground instead of V+.
I am also planning to purchase some more RGB LED strip and put a few sections in my garden for xmas, which should look pretty epic.
These actually the old revision of the boards they accidentally sent me, so the look a bit bodgy as I wanted to just test one out
I have new boards already though, just gotta wait for them from the old house.
As you can see, I had to stand the resistors up on their ends and solder wires around them to V+. On this wrong board they're accidentally pulled to ground instead of V+.
I am also planning to purchase some more RGB LED strip and put a few sections in my garden for xmas, which should look pretty epic.
Haven't ditched this project, just been caught up with other stuff like moving, going to uni, buying a new laser cutter etc
Because I've had to buy a new laser cutter, it's not going to be as huge as I originally planned. Which is good in a way, because I'd really have nowhere to put it. At least now it'll actually fit in my room, and I can also do seconds.
Did a quick test cut of the digits on thin styrofoam to see how it'd turn out, works great
Just need to grab a bunch more styrofoam, some thin MDF, some LDPE sheeting and get my RGB drivers shipped back.
Had to tape 2 sheets together to make it big enough, 18650 on the top for reference
Because I've had to buy a new laser cutter, it's not going to be as huge as I originally planned. Which is good in a way, because I'd really have nowhere to put it. At least now it'll actually fit in my room, and I can also do seconds.
Did a quick test cut of the digits on thin styrofoam to see how it'd turn out, works great
Just need to grab a bunch more styrofoam, some thin MDF, some LDPE sheeting and get my RGB drivers shipped back.
Had to tape 2 sheets together to make it big enough, 18650 on the top for reference
- Joined
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You bought a Laser Cutter....:thinking: I thought you
were building one..
Your digit turned out quite nice...
Jerry
You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics
were building one..
Your digit turned out quite nice...
Jerry
You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics
Last edited:
Meatball
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Nice! Getting your project into the bed! +1
"I just needed more 'time' in bed" Lol :na:
"I just needed more 'time' in bed" Lol :na:
I did, but I had to move, and my new place doesn't have a garage really big enough for my DIY machine, so had to sell it off and decided to just buy a complete smaller one. Having just started uni, wouldn't really have the time or motivation/money to DIY one again. I'd consider it if aluminium t-slot was more common here, since that's easy to work with, but unfortunately it's not, and very expensive to ship it
I came back to this thread to update it with how the clock was going .. but now I'm realizing I never even posted the actual finished project. I swear I remember posting about it somewhere ..
In short, I ended up ditching the custom little controller boards as they were a pain to wire inside the digits, and instead went for addressable LED strip. Unfortunately this is a fairly spendy way to do it, but all the strip in total is still under $50, and saves a _lot_ of hassle with wiring.
The digits are basically A3 size each, and can be linked in any order as they're all identical. They are mounted on the wall with 2 aluminium strips running along the back, to save having to drill 2 holes for each digit and align them nicely.
Using addressable LED strip, each segment can actually contain multiple colours, but I haven't really implemented that in the code.
It has built in bluetooth for setting the time, changing the colour patterns, and also for countdown/up functionality. I also put a LDR in it, so that it will dim down at night to be a bit less obnoxious.
It has been ticking away for over a year now, and have only had 1 major failure, which was my fault. These LED strips are very sensitive to picking up EMI on their power/data lines and I managed to accidentally kill a few pixels while playing with my neon sign transformers, even on the opposite side of the room. But cut out the few dud pixels and it's back again.
Oh, and it packs up fairly compact too
In short, I ended up ditching the custom little controller boards as they were a pain to wire inside the digits, and instead went for addressable LED strip. Unfortunately this is a fairly spendy way to do it, but all the strip in total is still under $50, and saves a _lot_ of hassle with wiring.
The digits are basically A3 size each, and can be linked in any order as they're all identical. They are mounted on the wall with 2 aluminium strips running along the back, to save having to drill 2 holes for each digit and align them nicely.
Using addressable LED strip, each segment can actually contain multiple colours, but I haven't really implemented that in the code.
It has built in bluetooth for setting the time, changing the colour patterns, and also for countdown/up functionality. I also put a LDR in it, so that it will dim down at night to be a bit less obnoxious.
It has been ticking away for over a year now, and have only had 1 major failure, which was my fault. These LED strips are very sensitive to picking up EMI on their power/data lines and I managed to accidentally kill a few pixels while playing with my neon sign transformers, even on the opposite side of the room. But cut out the few dud pixels and it's back again.
Oh, and it packs up fairly compact too
Last edited:
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That is a really cool project that you built there. Love the different shades of color
n2stuff
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About TIME you finish the clock. And only two years to let us know. LOL Neopixels are awesome leds I have some myself around here somewhere. Also good to see are still alive after building the death machine scooter.
Yeah I haven't had too much use on the scooter unfortunately. Cos I'm fairly heavy and it's so hot where I live all the time, I have to be very careful to not overheat the motor. In time I'll probably move further South to the cooler climate, and hopefully have lost a bit of weight with my job, and I'll be able to use it more again.
Addressable LED's are fun indeed, last Christmas I used about 40 metres of them to light up the house. Sadly though they're just really sensitive to EMI and very easily to kill accidentally.
Strangely in the dead pixels I pulled out of the clock, they appeared to actually have cracks in the potting around the controller IC. 3 out of the 5 I pulled had this, and I checked the remaining bit of strip I used for the clock and none of them had it.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/203420/Temp/DSCF7002.JPG
Addressable LED's are fun indeed, last Christmas I used about 40 metres of them to light up the house. Sadly though they're just really sensitive to EMI and very easily to kill accidentally.
Strangely in the dead pixels I pulled out of the clock, they appeared to actually have cracks in the potting around the controller IC. 3 out of the 5 I pulled had this, and I checked the remaining bit of strip I used for the clock and none of them had it.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/203420/Temp/DSCF7002.JPG
n2stuff
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Yeah I haven't had too much use on the scooter unfortunately. Cos I'm fairly heavy and it's so hot where I live all the time, I have to be very careful to not overheat the motor. In time I'll probably move further South to the cooler climate, and hopefully have lost a bit of weight with my job, and I'll be able to use it more again.
Addressable LED's are fun indeed, last Christmas I used about 40 metres of them to light up the house. Sadly though they're just really sensitive to EMI and very easily to kill accidentally.
Strangely in the dead pixels I pulled out of the clock, they appeared to actually have cracks in the potting around the controller IC. 3 out of the 5 I pulled had this, and I checked the remaining bit of strip I used for the clock and none of them had it.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/203420/Temp/DSCF7002.JPG
Interesting about the potting cracking around the IC. Did the IC over heat or get zapped? Were those genuine Neo Pixels or clones? I did have 1 pixel go out (stayed red) on my 8X8 matrix and Adafruit replace it fast. Also are you using a PJ for the reindear on your garage door?
Join the club on the weigh loss thing. I got rear ended last year and shoulder and neck problems and need surgery on both but I am self employed so keep working. I have been slowing down with work and keep eating like I am working and the pounds keep pouring on and on. Now I am in my fat clothes heading to the sweat pants soon if don't stop shoveling in food. LOL
PS Please wear some shoes next time you ride the Death Scooter flip flops on not protective gear.