RTC Won't Change Time - I don't know if hardware or software

[TodayWe_reGonna]

Hi and thanks in advance for any help.

Basically, I'm working on a light dimmer project (first ever) and am running into some trouble with the RTC. I have a DS1307 that came with my starter kit from Elegoo and it won't update the time. I'm able to communicate with it and the serial monitor shows that it is running but the time doesn't change. I'm using the adafruit RTC library: GitHub - adafruit/RTClib: A fork of Jeelab's fantastic RTC Arduino library and using the examples that it includes.

I know I am communicating with the module as I have been able to change the date/time (but now can't) and the softRTC example works just fine but I would rather use actual date/time rather than just elapsed millis()

I used the included example "ds1307"

[code]
// Date and time functions using a DS1307 RTC connected via I2C and Wire lib
#include "RTClib.h"

RTC_DS1307 rtc;

char daysOfTheWeek[7][12] = {"Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday"};

void setup () {
 // while (!Serial); // for Leonardo/Micro/Zero

  Serial.begin(57600);
  if (! rtc.begin()) {
    Serial.println("Couldn't find RTC");
    while (1);
  }

  if (! rtc.isrunning()) {
    Serial.println("RTC is NOT running!");
    // following line sets the RTC to the date & time this sketch was compiled
    rtc.adjust(DateTime(F(__DATE__), F(__TIME__)));
    // This line sets the RTC with an explicit date & time, for example to set
    // January 21, 2014 at 3am you would call:
    // rtc.adjust(DateTime(2014, 1, 21, 3, 0, 0));
  }
}

void loop () {
    DateTime now = rtc.now();

    Serial.print(now.year(), DEC);
    Serial.print('/');
    Serial.print(now.month(), DEC);
    Serial.print('/');
    Serial.print(now.day(), DEC);
    Serial.print(" (");
    Serial.print(daysOfTheWeek[now.dayOfTheWeek()]);
    Serial.print(") ");
    Serial.print(now.hour(), DEC);
    Serial.print(':');
    Serial.print(now.minute(), DEC);
    Serial.print(':');
    Serial.print(now.second(), DEC);
    Serial.println();

    Serial.print(" since midnight 1/1/1970 = ");
    Serial.print(now.unixtime());
    Serial.print("s = ");
    Serial.print(now.unixtime() / 86400L);
    Serial.println("d");

    // calculate a date which is 7 days and 30 seconds into the future
    DateTime future (now + TimeSpan(7,12,30,6));

    Serial.print(" now + 7d + 30s: ");
    Serial.print(future.year(), DEC);
    Serial.print('/');
    Serial.print(future.month(), DEC);
    Serial.print('/');
    Serial.print(future.day(), DEC);
    Serial.print(' ');
    Serial.print(future.hour(), DEC);
    Serial.print(':');
    Serial.print(future.minute(), DEC);
    Serial.print(':');
    Serial.print(future.second(), DEC);
    Serial.println();

    Serial.println();
    delay(3000);
}

[/code] with the line to update the date/time to current upload date/time as active. It shows the date/time that was stored in the module from another library that I tried... This is also the case when I try to manually set the date/time using the "// January 21, 2014 at 3am you would call:" example.

Before I tried the other libraries, it updated the date/time to current with upload but would not progress. When I use the softRTC it auto updates to current date/time of upload and proceeds appropriately. Do you think this is a hardware or program issue? I am stumped!

Thanks again!
Scott

[system]

The code you posted look like the example. I do not use RTC much in my projects. However, I hope this thread is of some use to you.

https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=128928.0

[TodayWe_reGonna]

Thanks Romonaga for your input. I checked out that thread and tried the library mentioned there. I was able to change the time but it still does not proceed. When I run any example code to set/read the time, it just returns the same time over and over...

Any other ideas?

Am I missing something else?

[gfvalvo]

I'd recommend that you download and read the DS1307 datasheet. From that, determine what serial of register reads / writes are necessary to accomplish the tasks you want. Then, examine the source code for the library you're trying to use and see what it's not doing.

[CrossRoads]

Try this simple code to set time & read back with Serial port in the IDE

/*
Test of RTC DS1307 via I2C.
 Counts 
 Seconds, 
 Minutes, 
 Hours, 
 Date of the Month, 
 Month, 
 Day of the week, and 
 Year with Leap-Year
 
 56 bytes battery backed RAM
 Square Wave Output
 
 11/17/2012- Updated for Wire.write & Wire.read commands
 1/18/13 - fixed unclear reference to 0x00
 */


/*
Modified to Run thru IDE Serial port
*/
#include <Wire.h>


//variables
byte zeroByte = 0;
byte seconds_address = 0x00;
byte seconds; // bit 7 = Clock Halt, Enabled = 0, Halt = 1
// bits 6-5-3 = tens of seconds 0-6,  bits 3-2-1-0 = units of seconds, 0-9


byte minutes_address = 0x01;
byte minutes;  // bits 6-5-4 = tens of minutes, bits 3-2-1-0 = units of minutes


byte hours_address = 0x02; 
byte hours;  // 7=0. 6 = 1 for 12 hr, 0 for 24 hr.
// bit 5: 12 hr mode = AM(0)/PM(1). 24 hr mode = upper tens of hrs
// bit 4 =  lower tens of hrs, bits 3-2-1-0 = units of hours (0-9)


byte day_week_address = 0x03; 
byte day_week = 0; // range 01-07


byte date_month_address = 0x04;
byte date_month = 0; // range 01-31


byte month_address = 0x05;
byte month = 0; // range 01-12


byte year_address = 0x06;
int year = 0; // upper byte 0-9, lower byte 0-9


byte square_address = 0x07;
byte sqwe = 0;  // square wave enable
// Out-0-0-Sqwe-0-0-RS1-RS0
// Out, Sqwe = 0/0 - Square wave output = 0
// Out, Sqwe = 1/0 - Square wave output = 1
// Out, Sqwe = 0/1 or 1/1 - Square wave output per RS1/RS0
// RS1/RS0 = 00 = 1 Hz
// RS1/RSo = 01 = 4 KHz
// RS1/RS0 = 10 = 8 KHz
// RS1/RS0 = 11 = 32 KHz


byte RTC_ram_address = 0x08; //range = 08-63, 0x08-0x3F


int RTC_address = 0x68; // 1101 000 


byte incomingCommand = 0;
byte RTC_write_command = 0;
byte RTC_read_command = 0;
byte RTC_ram_command = 0;


// use F0xx, F1xx,F2xx, F3xx, F4xx, F5xx, F6xx, F7xx
// to send one register write commands
// use E0xx to read registers back - not coded yet
// use C0xx to read RAM back - not coded yet


byte incomingRegister = 0;
byte RTC_register = 0;
byte incomingData1 = 0;
byte incomingData2 = 0;
byte new_data = 0;
byte outgoingData = 0;
int delay_time = 100;


unsigned long currentMillis = 0;
unsigned long previousMillis = 0;
unsigned long duration = 5000;


void setup() {
  Wire.begin(); // no address, we are master
  Serial.begin (57600);  
  Serial.flush();
  currentMillis = millis();  
}


void loop() {


  if (Serial.available() >3){
    incomingCommand = Serial.read();
    incomingRegister = Serial.read();
    incomingData1 = Serial.read();
    incomingData1 = incomingData1 - 0x30; // convert ASCII to HEX
    incomingData2 = Serial.read();
    incomingData2 = incomingData2 - 0x30;  // convert ASCII to HEX
    new_data = (incomingData1 << 4) + incomingData2;  // put the Upper/Lower nibbles together
    Serial.print ("command ");
    Serial.println (incomingCommand);
    Serial.print ("register ");
    Serial.println(incomingRegister);
    Serial.print ("data1 ");
    Serial.println (incomingData1, HEX);
    Serial.print ("data2 ");
    Serial.println (incomingData2, HEX);
    Serial.print ("combined data ");    
    Serial.println (new_data, HEX);
    
  }
  // *******************************************
//  RTC_write_command = incomingCommand & 0xF0;  // mask off high byte
//  if (RTC_write_command == 0xF0){  // check for Write command
if ((incomingCommand == 'F') | (incomingCommand == 'f')){
  incomingCommand = 0;  // reset for next pass
//    RTC_register = incomingCommand & 0x0F;  // mask off low btye
//    incomingCommand = 0;
//    new_data = incomingData;
    Serial.println (" Sending a command ");
//    switch (RTC_register){
switch (incomingRegister){
  case '0': // write seconds
        Serial.println ("Seconds ");
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(seconds_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
      delay (delay_time);
      break;
    case '1': // write minutes
    Serial.println ("Minutes ");
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(minutes_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
      delay (delay_time);
      break;
    case '2': // write hours
        Serial.println ("Hours ");
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(hours_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
     delay (delay_time);
      break;
    case '3': // write day
        Serial.println ("Day ");
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(day_week_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
     delay (delay_time);
      break;
    case '4': // write date of month
        Serial.println ("Day of Month ");
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(date_month_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
     delay (delay_time);
      break;
    case '5': // write month
        Serial.println ("Month ");
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(month_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
     delay (delay_time);
      break;
    case '6': // write year
        Serial.println ("Year ");
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(year_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
     delay (delay_time);
      break;
    case '7': // write square wave
        Serial.println ("Square Wave ");
    Serial.println (RTC_register, HEX);
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(square_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
     delay (delay_time);
      break;
    case '8': // write RAM
        Serial.print ("RAM ");
    Serial.println (RTC_register, HEX);
      Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address); // select device
      Wire.write(RTC_ram_address);          // queue the register
      Wire.write(new_data);                  // queue data
      Wire.endTransmission();            // send it
     delay (delay_time);
      break;
      // all others,do nothing
      Serial.println ("Invalid command ");
    }  // end Switch
  } // end if command == 'F'
  // ************************************


  currentMillis = millis();
  if ( (currentMillis - previousMillis) >= duration){
    previousMillis = currentMillis;  
    // Reset the register pointer  
    Wire.beginTransmission(RTC_address);  
    Wire.write(zeroByte);  
    Wire.endTransmission();   


    Wire.requestFrom(RTC_address,8 );  
    seconds = Wire.read();  
    minutes = Wire.read();  
    hours = Wire.read();  
    day_week = Wire.read();  
    date_month = Wire.read();  
    month = Wire.read();  
    year = Wire.read();  
    sqwe = Wire.read();


    // Seconds 
    // bit 7 = Clock Halt, Enabled = 0, Halt = 1
    // bits 6-5-3 = tens of seconds 0-6,  bits 3-2-1-0 = units of seconds, 0-9 


    // Hours
    // 7=0. 6 = 1 for 12 hr, 0 for 24 hr.
    // bit 5: 12 hr mode = AM(0)/PM(1). 24 hr mode = upper tens of hrs
    // bit 4 =  lower tens of hrs, bits 3-2-1-0 = units of hours (0-9)


    Serial.print ("Hrs " );
    Serial.print (hours, HEX);
    Serial.print (" Mins ");
    Serial.print (minutes, HEX);
    Serial.print (" Secs ");
    Serial.print (seconds, HEX);
    Serial.print (" Day ");
    Serial.print (day_week, HEX);
    Serial.print (" Date ");
    Serial.print (date_month, HEX);
    Serial.print (" Month ");
    Serial.print (month, HEX);
    Serial.print (" Year 20");
    Serial.print (year, HEX);
    Serial.print (" Square Wave ");
    Serial.println (sqwe, HEX);


  }
}

[johnnycatt]

@CrossRoads (yes, I know this thread is old, but it seems incomplete),

You are usually dead-right on your advice, but when running he above code, I only get:

Hrs FF Mins FF Secs FF Day FF Date FF Month FF Year 20FFFFFFFF SquareWave FF

over and over and over.

So what does that mean? I'm starting to think my Board is bad, but I have 2 "RTC boards" and both throw the same result