The Original Crap Clock

After all this time it is finally here, the Crap Clock. Albeit a simplified version that is cheaper to build and doesn’t have the added bloat of a battery charger, boost circuitry and a zero voltage on/off switch. It still maintains the main functions though. Beware, I have not printed this variety so cannot 100% guarantee you won’t need a bodge wire or two. It comes with no license, do what you like with it, but if you can give me credit please do. Also, a lot of YouTube viewers helped me with this so it is as much theirs as it is mine, so give something back to the community where you can.

It is my great pleasure to present to you the Original Crap Clock.

 

 

The Crap Clock is a clock running from a ATMEGA328 which drives 82  LEDs via a 74HC595 driving the rows and a TLC5940 sinking the current across the columns. As DS3231 keeps the time and can be kept running with the battery input terminals. The clock has several ‘modes’ to view the time, date, year, temperature and mirror modes for setting the time and date with the two buttons. The LEDs can be dimmed with the TLC5940 and the seconds display (Pink LEDs above) can be used to display a contextual letter alongside the mode the clock is in.

There are a couple of features I have not used or have taken out of the PCB. There are still pins for the inbuilt DS3231 alarm INT/SQW pin and a buzzer pin from the ATMEGA. Pin 10 is broken out for general use and there is also an analog pin available for a feature like a LDR to alter brightness.

PCB

Wanna see how I got here, this is a playlist of all the videos where I can remember talking about or designing the Crap Clock.

Eagle Files (includes Bill of materials) – Crap Clock Simplified – 110KB

Here is the Bill of materials – Google Sheet

Case

It isn’t very good, nor is it all that pretty, basically perfect for the Crap Clock.

STL Files – Crap Clock Case – 56KB

Code

It isn’t great of course but it is working and easy to modify, no idea how to make a library so this is all a bit of a train wreck.

Crap_Clock_v3 – 4KB Just normal code really but I wrote it in the Arduino IDE and used some libraries 🙂

You will need to upload this with a programmer, I used and Arduino as ISP.

5 thoughts on “The Original Crap Clock

  1. I’ve just made a clock using one of those small ESP8266 modules. It’s programmed under Arduino. Because it has built-in WiFi, it can log onto an ntp server and pick up the time automatically so it sets itself with no buttons needed. Just thought you might be interested in trying that out on a future clock – maybe call it the notsocrap clock!

    Best wishes,
    Nigel.

    1. Thank Nigel, I have messed about with those ESP8266 boards before. Fun bits of kit, my VFD display gets it time through one. This clock was designed to be stand alone really, just like an old-school bedside or desk clock.

  2. David. Hello, how are you? Would you be able to send me the CC board Gerber’s? I have a few things I would like to try to hack with it. If I am successful I will send you. Thank you mister. James

    1. Hey James, I didn’t realise you meant you messaged on here. What are CC gerbers? Just normal gerbers?

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