1. Why I started with this project?
3 years ago i built a clock using cider bottles (flattened) mounted on a wooden pallet. I published that project on “Instructables” (https://www.instructables.com/CLEPCIDRE-a-Cider-Bottles-Digital-Clock/) and participated to a “clock contest”. The contest’s winning project was a “watch-sized” binary clock. I decided to make my own binary clock but not as a watch, but using leds mounted on pieces of slate. I started with a first version where the master PCB was separated from the “leds grid” one and then i re-design the pcb to integrate the micro-processor (ATtiny85), the RTC module (DS3231) and the 13 leds on one single board. I found a mechanical workshop near my house to make the “grid drilling guide” (piece of metal with 3mm diameter holes, 3*2,54 mm distance between holes) that i needed to drill holes in the slate. The PCB also integrates 2 shift registers 74HC595 to drive the leds.
2. What I love about electronics?
When i studied electronics (in the late 60’s), there were no IC’s yet at least in our labs, only single components were available and no programming. It was not really easy to modify the logic of your project as that implied changes in the hardware, but today you “only need” to re-program micro-processors.
3. Which PCB Design Tool I use and why?
I use Fritzing, as my needs are very limited.
4. What’s my greatest fail with the project?
In the first version I soldered resistors directly on the PCB without any preliminary tests and then noticed that the leds were too bright and i had then to add additional resistors on a “flying” board to solve that issue. I corrected this with the second version in which the resistors’ value was better.
5. What’s my greatest win in the project?
I think this project combines electronic with natural material which produces a beautiful object.
6. What’s my most favorite feature AISLER?
I am impressed by the PCB quality