Study Timer Project

"This instructable was created in fulfillment of the project requirement of the Makecourse at the University of South Florida (www.makecourse.com)"

During the period where classes went online, I found myself lacking some motivation. I learned about the Pomodoro Technique in which you split your work time into intervals. This means that you study for a certain amount of time and then take a break. During that study interval, you have no distractions. This allowed me to stay focused, get more work done, and also feel less burnt out.

The idea for this study timer is to implement this pomodoro technique, but with a twist. Every time your study/break interval is up, you will be greeted with a friendly face, a pop-up figure of your choosing.

1. 3D printer

2. Filament

3. TM1637 Display

4. Spring 2 in. L x 0.25 in. D

5. 2x Push Buttons

6. 2x 9g Micro Servo

7. 2x 1 in Narrow Hinge

8. Solder

9. Mini Breadboard

10. Arduino

11. Limit Switch

12. Toy Round Ball

• Front Housing: The front housing is used to mount the display timer. It has 4 mounting holes that you can secure the timer, but the timer should fit perfectly so that there is no need to screw it in. The front housing is also where the two buttons are mounted. Feel free to use superglue if the buttons need a little more support.

• Motor Mount 1: This motor mount houses the motor that will be opening and closing the lid. It has 4 mounting holes so that you can screw in the mount on the side of the front housing

• Motor Mount 2: This motor mount houses the motor that will releasing/securing the latch. It has 4 mounting holes on the bottom so that it can be secured to the front housing as well as two mounting holes on the side to mount the limit switch.

• Lid: The lid has cutouts where the hinges go. It also has a "clamp" that will be connected to one of the linkages.

• Linkages: There are two linkages that will used to construct a four bar. These linkages will be connected to a motor and to the lid and will open/close the lid.

• Latch: The latch secures the ball in place and it released to allow the ball to spring up instead of slowly rise along with the lid. This gives a "jack in the box" effect.

• Bars: There are 2 identical bars that will be connected to the latch. With a screw in between the bars and latch, there will be a hinge that allows the latch to open and close.

Attached are the SolidWorks files for each part. Modifications can be made from these part files. If you want to print the part as is, I have also attached the .stl files for each part.

The circuit contains several different components:

• Motor 1 and Motor 2: The motors need to be connected to power, ground, and an input pin on the Arduino. I have connected the motor that will be opening/closing the lid to pin 4. The motor that will be releasing the latch is connected to pin 10.

• Timer Display: This timer display will be displaying the timer which is actuated one of the push buttons. Once the timer is up, the motors will be actuated. The timer display has 4 pins that connect to ground, power, and two pins on the Arduino. I connected the clock and data pins to pins 13 and 12, respectively.

• 9V Battery: The battery will power up the Arduino.

• Arduino: The Arduino is where the code is stored. The 5V pin will connect to the positive rail of the breadboard. The GND pin will be connected to the negative rial of the breadboard.

• Limit Switch: The limit switch will allow for the system to reset once pushed. The limit switch has 3 pins: C pin, NO pin, and NC pin. Normal applications only use two pins. I connected, the NO pin to pin 9 and the C pin to ground. So when the Arduino input pin's state is LOW, the switch will be untouched.

• Push Button 1 and 2: One push button will start the study timer and the other push button will start the break timer. One leg of the push button is connected to ground and the other to an input pin on the Arduino. I have connected the study timer button to pin 3 and the break timer button to pin 2.

Now you can connect all of the components to the circuit. There is a circuit schematic in Step 3 that can be used for reference.

• Lines 1-20: In these lines, external libraries are included, constant variables are assigned, and the display and limit switch are set up to their respective pins
• Lines 23-29: In these lines the servos are attached to pins and begin at the position where the latch is locked in and lid is closed. The button and limit switch are also initialized as inputs.
• Lines 41-77: In these lines is the countdown function. This countdown will display the study timer on the display. Once the time is up, the display will show 00:00 and the servos will open the lid and release the latch
• Lines 79-11: In these lines is the countdown2 function. Countdown2 function has the same logic as the countdown function, the only difference is that it has a different timer set. This timer will countdown your break time which will be less than your study time.
• Lines 116-129: In these lines there is a loop setup. If the red button is pressed, the countdown function is called. If the yellow button is pressed, the contdown2 function is called. If the limit switch is pressed then the servos will closed the lid, and secure the latch.
• Note: The code has been attached and can be modified as needed

This is a video of the final product. I had a lot of fun making this project. I was able to learn how to use a breadboard, learn about coding, and put some engineering skills to practice!