Programming a world clock with RTC ds3231

Using Arduino Programming Questions
#1

Hey Guys,

I followed a guide to make an arduino world clock. So far, I’ve assembled everything, but I only need to sort out the programming part.

Namely, in the part’s list, a DS3231 RTC is listed, whereas the guy later on uses a DS1307 RTC. From what I can see, they syntax is a little bit different for setting the time on both.

I have managed to set the correct time on the RTC, but I cannot figure out how to implement the RTC DS3231 in that code.

Bellow is a copy of the code, and hopefully someone would be able to help me out :slight_smile:

Thanks!

The complete guide can be found here

Tiny WC Arduino Code (3).txt (23.1 KB)

#2

but I cannot figure out how to implement the RTC DS3231 in that code.

Have you found/created a library for the DS3231 that has the same functions as the DS1307 library in the code?

#3

From what I can see, the library is the same. And I might have had a hardware connection error. Will get it fixed and post the outcome.

Furthermore, would anyone care to sum up the first lines of the code where the time is being set? With my limited programming knowledge, I cant understand what is going on.

Thanks!

#4

Furthermore, would anyone care to sum up the first lines of the code where the time is being set? With my limited programming knowledge, I cant understand what is going on.

You should post the snippet that you don't understand, rather than having us guess which lines they are.

#5

If you are trying to make a world clock, then I think you picked the wrong place to start. The software you chose does not appear to support time zones or Daylight Saving Time.

#6

odometer:
If you are trying to make a world clock, then I think you picked the wrong place to start. The software you chose does not appear to support time zones or Daylight Saving Time.

Any ideas of a better software?

Furthermore, this version does have + and - 1min buttons, so it can be adjusted manually

PaulS:
You should post the snippet that you don’t understand, rather than having us guess which lines they are.

This:

  //Initialize RTC
  
    Serial.begin(9600);
  // while (!Serial) ; // wait until Arduino Serial Monitor opens
  delay(200);
  setSyncProvider(RTC.get);   // the function to get the time from the RTC
  setSyncInterval(60); // sync the time every 60 seconds (1 minutes)
  if(timeStatus()!= timeSet){ 
     Serial.println("Unable to sync with the RTC");
     RTC.set(1408278800); // set the RTC to Aug 25 2014 9:00 am
     setTime(1408278800);
    }
    else{
     Serial.println("RTC has set the system time");   
    }


  // initialize the LED I/O pins as outputs
  // iterate over the pins:
  for (int thisPin = 0; thisPin < 13; thisPin++) {
    // initialize the output pins:
    pinMode(col[thisPin], OUTPUT); 
    pinMode(row[thisPin], OUTPUT);  
    // take the col pins (i.e. the cathodes) high to ensure that
    // the LEDS are off: 
    digitalWrite(col[thisPin], LOW);    
  }

  // initialize the pixel matrix by setting all LED Anodes and Cathodes to LOW:
  for (int x = 0; x < 13; x++) {
    for (int y = 0; y < 13; y++) {
      pixels[x][y] = LOW;
    }
  }
  
// initialize the Button I/O pins as Digital Inputs for Increment and Decrement time for manual adjustment of time
   pinMode(8, INPUT); // Increment time
   pinMode(9, INPUT); // Decrement time

}

void loop() {
 
// Read the current date and time from the RTC

  if (timeStatus() == timeSet) {
    UpdateDisp();
 // hmdmDisplay();
  } else {
    Serial.println("The time has not been set.  Please run the Time");
    Serial.println("TimeRTCSet example, or DS1307RTC SetTime example.");
    Serial.println();
    delay(4000);
  }
#7

I’d go with these libraries:
this for the ds3231: GitHub - JChristensen/DS3232RTC: Arduino Library for Maxim Integrated DS3232 and DS3231 Real-Time Clocks
And this for handling the timezones: GitHub - JChristensen/Timezone: Arduino library to facilitate time zone conversions and automatic daylight saving (summer) time adjustments.

The timezone library comes with a world clock example and can even do DST changes.

— bill

#8

bperrybap:
I'd go with these libraries:
this for the ds3231: GitHub - JChristensen/DS3232RTC: Arduino Library for Maxim Integrated DS3232 and DS3231 Real-Time Clocks
And this for handling the timezones: GitHub - JChristensen/Timezone: Arduino library to facilitate time zone conversions and automatic daylight saving (summer) time adjustments.

The timezone library comes with a world clock example and can even do DST changes.

--- bill

The thing is, i'd have no idea how to implement it :confused:

#9

Hold on..... I just looked at your instructable link.
Are you wanting a World clock or a Word clock?

#10

Well noticed! hahaha :smiley: I had no idea it was a word clock.

Anyways, it is meant to be placed in a room, and not switched form that time zone. So daylight saving features would come in handy, but are not a top priority

#11

stef_an:
Well noticed! hahaha :smiley: I had no idea it was a word clock.

Word vs World is very different. :wink:

If you are just going to implement that design then you can use the DS3232 library with your ds3231.
Look at the examples with the ds3232 library and you will see how to set up the Time sync provider.

BTW, most of those ds3231 have a flaw in them. They were designed with a crappy battery circuit. They tried to tried to design it for a rechargeable battery but their design is bad. And to make things worse, many include a CR2032 (non chargeable) rather than the LIR2032 battery.

It is a simple modification to fix the board to work properly with a non chargeable battery.
Not doing so risks damaging the battery.

If you post a clear closeup photo of your RTC module I can take a look and show you which trace to cut to fix it.

--- bill

I built a word clock for my mother a couple of years ago.
It was a massive amount of work, with most of the work being the mechanical design since I was using individual LEDs.

#12

If you have the ZS-042 module, the trace cut image in the first reply in [ZS-042 DS3231 RTC module - Sensors - Arduino Forum]ZS-042 DS3231 RTC module - Sensors - Arduino Forum](ZS-042 DS3231 RTC module - Sensors - Arduino Forum) shows what to cut if you use a battery that is not designed for re-charging. You can also remove the diode (the red component) or the resistor (marked 201).

#13

This:

You said that you didn't understand two lines, and then posted another, longer, snippet, with 56 lines in it. You STILL want us to guess which 2 lines you don't understand, only now our odds of guessing which two lines you don't understand are even worse.

What's next? A snippet with 400 lines?

#14

bperrybap:
Word vs World is very different. :wink:

If you are just going to implement that design then you can use the DS3232 library with your ds3231.
Look at the examples with the ds3232 library and you will see how to set up the Time sync provider.

BTW, most of those ds3231 have a flaw in them. They were designed with a crappy battery circuit. They tried to tried to design it for a rechargeable battery but their design is bad. And to make things worse, many include a CR2032 (non chargeable) rather than the LIR2032 battery.

It is a simple modification to fix the board to work properly with a non chargeable battery.
Not doing so risks damaging the battery.

If you post a clear closeup photo of your RTC module I can take a look and show you which trace to cut to fix it.

--- bill

I built a word clock for my mother a couple of years ago.
It was a massive amount of work, with most of the work being the mechanical design since I was using individual LEDs.

Sorry for my late response, but I was travelling and I just settled down :smiley: Attached is a picture of my ds3231 module. I did change the included battery to a better cr2032 batt.

sterretje:
If you have the ZS-042 module, the trace cut image in the first reply in [ZS-042 DS3231 RTC module - Sensors - Arduino Forum]ZS-042 DS3231 RTC module - Sensors - Arduino Forum](ZS-042 DS3231 RTC module - Sensors - Arduino Forum) shows what to cut if you use a battery that is not designed for re-charging. You can also remove the diode (the red component) or the resistor (marked 201).

Yup, its that one...

PaulS:
You said that you didn't understand two lines, and then posted another, longer, snippet, with 56 lines in it. You STILL want us to guess which 2 lines you don't understand, only now our odds of guessing which two lines you don't understand are even worse.

What's next? A snippet with 400 lines?

I posted the entire part that I don't understand.

#15

stef_an:
Sorry for my late response, but I was travelling and I just settled down :smiley: Attached is a picture of my ds3231 module. I did change the included battery to a better cr2032 batt.

You will need to do the modification to disable the charging circuit.
You can either cut the trace or remove the diode or resistor.

I posted the entire part that I don't understand.

The mainline code uses the Time library and its API functions that is independent of the RTC library used.
The RTC library is only used to get a unix timestamp for time syncronization and to set set the time in the RTC h/w using a unix timestamp.
The DS3232 library uses the same API as the DS1307 API for getting the unix timestamp and setting the RTC from a unix timestamp, so it should just be matter of using the proper header file.
See the included examples in the DS3232 library and the header files for more information.

--- bill

#16

Okay guys, I managed to set up the time. I was supposed to be using a UNIX time format, and I am almost done with the clock.

However, I am having troubles compiling the final code with time transitions for this clock. I am getting an error message “was not declared in this scope”.

I spent hours looking at the code, and I cant find the bug. The thing is, when I use the code without the time transitions I am not getting that error.

I am attaching the error message, the working code, and the one that returns error.

Hopefully someone can figure it out.

Thanks

codeTHATdoesntWORK.txt (23 KB)

codeTHATworks.txt (20.9 KB)

error codes.txt (907 Bytes)

#17

In the codeTHATdoesntWORK.txt where is the closing bracket for void loop() {
?

#18

Look at line 125 you have a stray beginning of a comment:
A "/*" that is commenting out some code.

/*
//Decrement Button Pushed
if(digitalRead(8) == LOW){
  delay(100); // Deboubnce by waiting then checking again
   if(digitalRead(8) == LOW){
        if(timeStatus() == timeSet){
  adjustTime(-60);
        RTC.set(now() -60);
        blankscreen(); // Blank out all LEDs
  }
  }
delay(100);
}

Remove that line and it will compile.
I would also recommend using the auto format to fix up the indentation.

You need to use a better editor.
One that can colorize syntax.
With that, you would have seen the giant block of code commented out in the middle of your sketch.

BTW, if you were originally commenting out code, using /* */ is a bad way of doing it.
Using some thing like this:

#ifdef notdef

code you wanted commented out.

#endif

That will always work without having to worry about nested comments.

--- bill

#19

bperrybap:
Look at line 125 you have a stray beginning of a comment:
A “/*” that is commenting out some code.

/*

//Decrement Button Pushed
if(digitalRead(8) == LOW){
  delay(100); // Deboubnce by waiting then checking again
  if(digitalRead(8) == LOW){
        if(timeStatus() == timeSet){
  adjustTime(-60);
        RTC.set(now() -60);
        blankscreen(); // Blank out all LEDs
  }
  }
delay(100);
}




Remove that line and it will compile.
I would also recommend using the auto format to fix up the indentation.


You need to use a better editor.
One that can colorize syntax.
With that, you would have seen the giant block of code commented out in the middle of your sketch.

BTW, if you were originally commenting out code, using /* */ is a bad way of doing it.
Using some thing like this:

#ifdef notdef

code you wanted commented out.

#endif




That will always work without having to worry about nested comments.

--- bill

Yeah, that is intentionally commented out until install the buttons (later today). hat other editior would you suggest?

And @cattledog thanks for the input :slight_smile: THe closing bracket was commented out. However, I am still getting this error

maija_clock:118: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before ';' token

  refreshScreen();

                 ^

maija_clock:122: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before ';' token

  textblock();  // Name always on display

             ^

maija_clock:123: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before ';' token

  itis(); // IT IS always on display

        ^


expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before ';' token
#20

However, I am still getting this error

So post your new code so we can see what you changed.