An Arduino based radio alarm clock with a unique display method and an efficient user interface
Actual alarm clocks are often not designed very well, because they try to be cheap and very multifunctional. I want to create an alarm clock, that is optimized by enhanceing the essential features an reducing all gimmicks not necessary for the job.
Essential functions of a radio alarm clock
- show the actual time (in a good adapted brightness)
- Play radio to wake me up (fading it smothly in)
- efficient and reliable change of alarm time
- ensure correct volume of sound (minimize risk of silent alarm due to bad volume controller)
- Get correct time through available broadcast services (RDS is best, since we need a radio module anyway)
- Snooze function
- "Hard to Kill" alarm off procedure (Procedure needs more then just hitting a button)
- Switch bewteen alarm mode and non alarm mode
- stop bothering after (1?) Hour
Personal essential feature
- show time in a pattern, a short sighted person still can recognize over 2 meters
- Nap function (Wake me up after a defined interval)
Nice to have functions
- Sleep function - Play Radio on demand for a defined time and fade it out smoothly
Further extentions
- Dim up light to simulate sunrise before starting the radio
Unecessary function
- Play radio for endless time
- Change radio stations (I always wake up with the same)
- Show Radio Station name
- shot weather and other data etc.
In the repository you will find all necessary code and diagrams to build the clock by yourself
- Arduino sketch including ** Display programming ** Encoder reading ** RDS Data cleansing procedure ** "EEPROM Database" class for easy storing data on EEPROM
- Fritzing circuit plan (not full PCB layout, since I just build on prototype boards) ** Also provided as png export
- Manuals and design approach
- Rough skecth to build a housing
- List of Parts
- Arduino IDE
- Frizing
- inkscape (or some other svg tool to read the building sketches)