INTERACTIVE LED WALL & CLOCK!

In this tutorial, I will guide you through creating an Interactive LED Wall & Clock using Arduino. This project combines creativity and technology to design a functional and visually striking clock with interactive LED lights. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience with Arduino, this guide will walk you through all the necessary steps!

Build Video

Coding Video

Cad files

Electronic Components:

1. Arduino Uno x 1
2. DS1302 RTC Module (Real-Time Clock) x 1
3. WS2812B 5V LED Strip x 5 meters 30 LEDS/Meter
4. Push Buttons (6*6*4.3mm) x 95
5. 5V >6A Power Supply
6. Resistors:
7. 1kΩ
8. 2.2kΩ
9. 3.3kΩ
10. 4.7kΩ
11. 6.8kΩ
12. 10kΩ
13. 15kΩ
14. 22kΩ
15. 33kΩ
16. (300 ohm for led strip data line, extra 10k for A0 to ground)

Materials for Construction:

1. 3mm Wood Sheets (at least 600mm wide and 200mm high)
2. 3mm White Acrylic Sheets (at least 600mm wide and 200mm high)
3. Wires and solder
4. Super glue

Laser Cutting Instructions

1. Power: 100%
2. Speed: 30 mm/s
3. Materials: 3mm wood and acrylic

Steps:

1. Load the CAD files in DXF format.
2. Ensure the material is 3mm thick.
3. Focus the laser on the material.
4. Start cutting and monitor the process.
5. After cutting, check the edges for quality and peel off the plastic protection from acrylic parts.

I have also attached the sketchup files if you need to change something.

Building the Hexapods

1. Assemble the Walls: Begin by assembling the walls, ensuring that the white surfaces face into the middle of the pods.
2. Leave the Bottom Unattached: Do not glue the bottom yet, as we’ll need to remove it later when inserting the LED strip through the pods.
3. Apply Super Glue: Apply super glue along the top edges of the walls.
4. Add the White Acrylic Piece: Place a white acrylic piece on top of the assembled walls.
5. Align the Top: Ensure the top is perfectly aligned before the glue sets.
6. 
   

Installing the Buttons

1. Insert the Buttons: Gently insert the buttons into the button board. You can use a mallet to tap them in or push them gently by hand. Be sure that the button's legs are pointing in the horizontal direction.
2. Check Alignment: Ensure the buttons are perfectly aligned on the other side of the board.
3. Secure with Super Glue: Once all the buttons are in place, apply a small amount of super glue around each button to keep them secure and prevent them from falling out when pressed.

Soldering the Button Matrix

1. Solder the Resistors: Solder the resistors along the top row of the button matrix, making sure to follow the schematic order.
2. Solder the Row Wires: Solder each row's horizontal wire to the bottom leg of each button.
3. Solder the Column Wires: Solder the column wires in a zigzag pattern, as shown in the schematic. (Be sure to refer to the video for further clarification.)
4. Solder the Connecting Wires: Solder the connecting wires for each row. These will be used to connect to the Arduino on pins D13 to D5, and A0 for reading the input.

Assembling the LED Strip and Hexagon Pods

1. Insert the LED Strip: Insert the LED strip through the slot at the top of the button board, ensuring that LED 1 is positioned at the top left-hand corner of the display.
2. Feed the LED Strip: Carefully feed the LED strip through the two hexagon bases with slots in them.
3. Detach the Bottom Bases: Remove the bottom bases of the assembled hexagon pods.
4. Attach the Top to the Bases: Insert the top portion of the pods onto the hexagon bases.
5. Bend the Strip: When the LED strip passes through the first hole, bend it slightly to ensure it runs horizontally through the slots of each LED pod.
6. Test Button Functionality: Once a column is assembled, check that each button can be compressed by pressing on the top of the pods.
7. Fold the LED Strip: For the next column, fold the LED strip at a 45-degree angle so that one LED faces upward at the back. This LED will act as a backlight for the display and help avoid cutting the LED strip.
8. Continue Assembly: Repeat the process until the display is fully assembled.
9. Finish with Exterior Panels: Glue on the exterior half-hexagon panels to complete the assembly.

Soldering the Power and Data Lines

1. Solder the Power Lines: Solder the power lines of the LED strip directly to the Arduino Uno connector:
2. 5V (Red) connects to the bottom tap of the power jack.
3. Ground connects to the other two pins on the power jack.
4. Solder a 300Ω Resistor: Solder a 300Ω resistor to the data line for the LED strip to ensure proper signal transmission.
5. Solder a 10KΩ Resistor: Solder a 10KΩ resistor from pin A0 on the Arduino to GND. This ensures that the buttons read 0 when pressed.

Final Connections and Code Upload

1. Connect Row Wires: Connect each of the row wires to the Arduino Uno pins D13 to D5.
2. Connect Analog Read Wire: Connect the top analog read wire to A0 on the Arduino.
3. Connect the DS1302 Clock Module:
4. 5V to the 5V pin on the Arduino.
5. GND to the GND pin on the Arduino.
6. DATA, CLOCK, and RESET to pins D4, D3, and D2 on the Arduino, respectively.
7. Upload LED Test Code: Upload the LED test code to ensure all components are functioning properly.
8. Note you will have to install libraries Neopixel and RTCds1302
9. For specific details on how the code works watch this video
10. Upload Final Code: After confirming the test works, upload the final code, and you should have successfully completed your interactive clock!