Summary of Quozl’s Alarm Clock using PIC16F877
The article contrasts a flawed physical alarm clock with a superior new PIC16F877-based project. The old device suffers from inaccurate triggering, difficult time adjustments, and closed-source limitations. The new open-source solution offers precise configuration, customizable audio feedback, holiday modes, and robust daylight saving handling. While it currently lacks automatic transitions or NTP synchronization, its hackable nature allows for future enhancements.
Parts used in Quozl's Alarm Clock:
- PIC16F877 microcontroller
Old Alarm Clock Problems
- wake’s Quozl’s wife, a side-effect,
- needs to be armed each evening,
- 12-hour clock, cannot be armed more than 11.5 hours before alarm time,
- triggers at plus or minus ten minutes, depending on how it was dropped,
- battery cover needs to be removed to change time,
- changing time at daylight saving loses minutes and seconds,
- immitated by rural birdlife, causing false triggers,
- second hand has failed from repeated dropping,
- closed source implementation.
New Alarm Clock Features
- wakes Quozl up each day,
- doesn’t wake Quozl’s wife,
- defaults to wake Quozl up the next day, doesn’t need to be told,
- can be told at any time in the previous day not to wake Quozl up,
- can be configured accurately without having to hold buttons down,
- can emit per-second tick noises, or not,
- can emit tones in response to key presses, or not,
- can be told that Quozl is on holidays,
- changing time for daylight saving can retain minutes and seconds,
- open source, capable of being further hacked.
Not yet features
- automatic daylight saving transitions,
- gradual daylight saving alarm time shifts,
- weekend alarm suppression,
- recording of how long it took to wake Quozl up,
- serial port for GUI configuration,
- synchronisation using NTP or rdate over PPP or SLIP,
For more detail: Quozl’s Alarm Clock using PIC16F877
- Can the new alarm clock be configured accurately without holding buttons down?
Yes, the new device can be configured accurately without having to hold buttons down. - Does the new alarm clock retain minutes and seconds when changing time for daylight saving?
Yes, changing time for daylight saving can retain minutes and seconds in the new system. - What is the implementation type of the new alarm clock?
The new alarm clock has an open source implementation capable of being further hacked. - Can the new alarm clock be told not to wake Quozl up at any time during the previous day?
Yes, it can be told at any time in the previous day not to wake Quozl up. - Does the new alarm clock emit tones in response to key presses?
Yes, it can emit tones in response to key presses, though this feature can be disabled. - How does the new alarm clock handle waking Quozl's wife?
The new alarm clock wakes Quozl up each day but does not wake Quozl's wife. - Is there an automatic daylight saving transition feature yet?
No, automatic daylight saving transitions are listed as a feature not yet implemented. - Can the new alarm clock record how long it took to wake Quozl up?
No, recording of how long it took to wake Quozl up is not yet a feature. - Does the new alarm clock support synchronization using NTP over PPP or SLIP?
No, synchronization using NTP or rdate over PPP or SLIP is not yet available. - What happens if the old alarm clock is dropped?
Dropping the old alarm clock causes triggers at plus or minus ten minutes and can fail the second hand.
