A Clock Made of Words

Introduction

On my 25th birthday, I visited the city of Modena. As I wandered through the streets, something in a shop window caught my eye—a truly fascinating object: a clock that displayed the time in words.

Immediately, I thought, I have to build one! I’ve always believed that imitation is the highest form of admiration.

Research and Development

I chose WS2816B LEDs for this project, which are addressable. This means that although they are connected as a single strip, they can be individually controlled to light up specific sequences of LEDs, managing color and intensity.

The LED has 3 pins: 5V, GND, and Data. As you can see, the LED has an arrow printed on it indicating the direction of the signal. This is important because it allows the LED to correctly receive the signal and transmit it to the subsequent LEDs. Prepare some solder as there will be 124 LEDs to solder.

Since the clock is based on a matrix, I programmed it to store LED combinations for each hour and minute. For example, when it’s 08:20, the corresponding LEDs light up to display "eight" and "twenty" in words.

But how does the clock know the current time?
Technically speaking, it requests the time from the router every minute using the NTP (Network Time Protocol) service. Some purists might raise an eyebrow at this method, but it ensures that the clock always displays the correct time.

The casing serves two purposes: structural support and design. I opted for a metal plate fixed with four bolts at the back for easy maintenance. The plate was laser-cut to achieve precise lettering.

To ensure the LEDs illuminate the letters effectively, I drilled a grid of holes into a wooden panel, directing the light exactly where needed.

Conclusion

This project allows me to improve my programming skills, particularly in matrix calculations. Additionally, it enables me to identify appropriate materials, such as iron for a robust structure and wood for its cost-effectiveness and ease of shaping.

We are upgrading the pipe codename DCF77 to eliminate NTP dependencies and obtain time from the Manheim radio station in Germany. More information is available on Wikipedia