One type of word clock uses a stencil on which LEDs illuminate only the letters that are needed at the moment, composing them thereby the words. The author of Instructables under the nickname kenyer made his own version of such a watch with a text in Dutch.
As e The master applied parts of the device, consisting of an interface converter, a Colorduino module, and a suitable 8x8 pixel RGB LED matrix. He simply connected the components of the kit to each other - and the electronics is ready!
Now we need a stencil and body parts. The stencil is laser cut from a specially designed Plexiglass brand Troglass Reverse. You can get its analogue by covering the usual transparent plexiglass with black ink. The body parts are made in the same way from plexiglas painted black throughout the entire thickness initially.
The master completed all the drawings in the application. It can work in Linux, Mac OS X, Windows operating systems, as well as without installing directly in the browser. It is not necessary to use a paid subscription, it reveals additional functions that are needed only for complex graphic works.
Work on the stencil is in full swing ... Of course, not manual:
And here the master holds in his hands a ready-made stencil:
Files required for making stencil: in formats and. You can edit the first of them yourself in Gravit Designer.
Further, kenyer designs housing parts in the same program. They are designed for the manufacture of Plexiglas 3 mm thickness:
Files: formats and.
The wizard begins to build. Installs two parts intended for the front panel in the side:
Places a stencil between them:
Replaces the board with the matrix previously placed in it:
Presses with another detail:
Connects and glues the interface converter:
Finishes assembly of the case:
Writes a sketch:
, and here are two libraries to it: and.
The buttons on the watch are not provided to set the time correctly; it is enough to apply power to them at exactly 8 a.m. Or at another time, if you adjust the initial value of the corresponding variable in the sketch. You can also specify the colors of the letters, as well as the words voor, over, half and uur.
Everything works:
From the translator. If you have nowhere or expensive to cut it all out with a laser, remake the stencil file so that there are white letters on a black background. Print on a laser printer several identical stencils on film. Put them together so you get an opaque black background. As the case, use any box of suitable sizes, cutting a square hole in it for the stencil.