Arduino - Temperature and Time

Yesterday I soldered up the Real Time Clock for the Arduino project .

A Real Time Clock is just a digital clock without a display.

What's the point of that Awa Rich?

There's one in every computer, that's how it knows what time it is even when you switch it off. There's a battery that keeps the clock ticking.

I thot the innernet did that Awa Rich.

Nope, most computers set their internal clocks by getting a reference time from the internet, but they still need to know what time it is even when there's no internet connection. When you save a document it gets a time and date stamp from the computer's Real Time Clock.

The clock came as a bag-o-bits. Assembly was not a complex task as the circuit board was the size of a postage stamp (remember them?) and there were only 7 components. It was rather a fiddly job as the circuit board was so small and it kept moving around.

Image from Oomlout who supplied the parts

http://oomlout.co.uk/collections/extra-pieces/products/real-time-clock-kit

I plugged it into a spare breadboard, loaded up the example code and fired it up. It worked! So, the next step was to add it to the digital thermometer I built previously and modify the code so It would display the time on the Liquid Crystal Display rather than the computer screen.

There were a few problems getting the time to display in the correct format but I got there in the end. That's what programming is all about. Working out how to get the result you want, not quite getting there and figuring out what you have to change. Iterative improvements, slowly creeping up on your prey, solving problems and trying different strategies based on the information you got from the results.

Better than doing SuDoKu Awa Rich!

A project like this requires a lot of juggling as you need to know about the physical components, not only how to connect them together but also how to communicate with them. They all have their own peculiar requirements and idiosyncrasies.

Just like Peeps Awa Rich!

You need data sheets many and lots of tabs open in your browser.

I've heard Peeps say that about you Awa Rich - "That lad's got too many tabs open in his browser!" 

I think you made that one up HurdyGurdy Dude!

Aynho, I got the thing working but it was a bit of a mess with wires everywhere and two breadboard  connected together. So I ripped it all apart and rebuilt it on the one breadboard.

Where's the bread Awa Rich?

A breadboard is a thing for building temporary prototype circuits on, without having to solder bits together - you just plug and unplug components, move and replace them as you need to.

Once upon a time someone banged nails into a wooden breadboard, strung wires between them and soldered on components to test a circuit. The name stuck. That's how I built my first electronic circuits.

Here's the Arduino with Real Time Clock, temperature sensor and liquid crystal display.

Now that I have all the controller circuitry up and running I need to write some code that lets you set the cooking temperature and cooking time.

Marie said that some people might think it's a bomb.

Some Peeps watch too much TellyBox and read too many Noozepaypers Awa Rich! Aynho, Everyone know that barms have curly wyrs. That has streyt wyrs so it can't be a barm. Wunt take it through airport security tho Awa Rich!

Stay tuned...