After getting my first Pi Zero I started thinking about a project to embed it in. I’d seen word clocks done in various ways, but thought I’d put my own spin on it.
The code displays the time (in 5 minute increments) by illuminating the appropriate pixels. Just for an added bit of flair it scrolls a rainbow across the display at the same time. If you’re interested in how this is achieved, the code is available on my GitHub page.
After experimenting with a simple diffuser, I printed one off with white letters on a black background – I think the effect is really nice.
The Pi Zero relies on a network connection to acquire the time, but seeing as this was designed to be a ‘standalone’ project only requiring power, I added a cheap real time clock (RTC) as can be seen in the second image. This does mean the HAT can no longer sit directly on the Pi, but I figured I’d 3D print a case to package it all up neatly. Which reminds me…