DIRE DAWA UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
INDUSTRIAL CONTROL STREAM
Title: DIGITAL CLOCK WITH SEVEN SEGMENT LED DISPLAY

Group members ID. No

1. ABOBONI NACHO…………………………………………..R/0800/09

2. BIRHANE DESTA……………………………………………R/1056/09

3. ROBEL HAILEYESUS..............................................................R/3370/08

4. ABRAHAM KAHSAY..............................................................R/1376/09

5. MINALE GASHAW.................................................................R/1780/09

Advisor: Ins. Nurye Hassen (Msc)

Submission date: 22-oct-21 G.C.

Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

 Digital clock with seven segment LED display 2021

Abstract

The aim of this project is to develop a digital clock that displays time with seven segment LED
display. Digital clock plays an important role that displays a twelve hour digitally, in contrast to
an Analog clock, where the time is indicated by the positions of rotating hands. With the help of
RTC, Arduino microcontroller, seven segments LED display and LED a digital clock to display
time in hours, minutes and seconds can be constructed. Seven segment displays is a very
common and efficient option for displaying than analog one. The main objective of this project is
to make a digital clock with seven segment system with low cost. This paper discusses the design
and implementation of a digital clock with seven segment led display using ARDUINO UNO R3
which operates the entire system, RTC that measures the passage of time and LED that indicates
time by blinking every second. The entire system is controlled by Arduino microcontroller. The
Arduino microcontroller is programmed in such way by using C-programming with ARDUINO
IDE. From the project done, the system can counts the time.

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Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................... i
Chapter one ................................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Background ................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Statement of the problem .............................................................................................................. 1
1.3. Objectives .......................................................................................................................................... 2
1.3.1. General objectives ....................................................................................................................... 2
1.3.2. Specific objective ........................................................................................................................ 2
1.4. Scope of the project ........................................................................................................................... 2
Chapter two ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Literature review ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Chapter Three................................................................................................................................................ 4
Methodology ................................................................................................................................................. 4
3.1. Block diagram .................................................................................................................................... 4
3.2. Flow chart .......................................................................................................................................... 4
3.3. Expected output ................................................................................................................................. 5
Chapter Four ................................................................................................................................................. 6
Work plan and Budget .................................................................................................................................. 6
4.1. Work plan........................................................................................................................................... 6
4.2. Work budget....................................................................................................................................... 7
References ..................................................................................................................................................... 8

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Chapter one

Introduction

1.1. Background

At this time most peoples in the whole world use an automated digital clock in their everyday
use. Starting from the hand watch we were to those huge street clocks every one of us are
dependent on the display the make. In 21th century time being more than money, regarding this
changes our hobbies of checking our time every minute is dramatically increasing. About 99% of
today’s digital clocks are made using microcontrollers which make them more hand able from
the rest, those we can set the time to start any minute or second we want and also set an alarm for
reminder so that the system will store the value in a memory and then when the time reaches the
alarm will be on. As the microcontroller consists almost all the logical devices external logic
gates doesn’t exist.
In order to be used properly and for a long life usage, digital clocks must cover a very small
place as much as it could but the size of most of the digital clocks manufactured this time is
unexpectedly increasing as the use the give increases. This are the list of problems that exists in
today’s digital clocks.

1.2. Statement of the problem

As we know in these years now we are living time is an important tool of life because, we have a
limited range of time to live in this world and “have to run with the time”, in order to succeed in
this life one have to manage and use his time properly. As of technological development we can
say almost everyone in the world have a clock in the cellphone that are in their pockets, wear a
watch on their hands, or have it in the wall or table of their offices and homes, due to having a
clock almost everywhere, we human beings have developed a behavior of checking our clock
frequently. So we can very certainly can say that a clock a necessity.

The proposed system to solve the problem is, developing a digital clock with 7 segment LED
displays that counts the real time by using Arduino microcontroller and RTC that can saves the
time when even power source is connected because, it has its own battery. The time is built by

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multiplexing 4 single digits 7 segment LED displays connecting them with Arduino
microcontroller, push buttons connected to the Arduino for manual adjust of the time, blinking
LED for indicating the seconds and RTC which counts the real time.

So we have developed a digital clock that displays in HH:MM format using the materials
mentioned in the paragraph, which are very cheap and easy to utilize. And also we tried to make
the hardware as small, portable and light, to solve the hunger of knowing time of humans very
frequently in our day to day life.

1.3. Objectives

1.3.1. General objectives

The main purpose of this project is to design and implement a digital clock with seven segment
LED display system that indicate the hour and minute in HH:MM format and can be produced at
a low cost with effective and competitive usage. This System is designed to be more users
friendly and easy to operate at any level.

1.3.2. Specific objective

The specific objective of this project including the following:

 To build a digital clock successfully gaining all the required knowledge.

 To know about the working of each and every component and their role in the circuit.
 To apply our knowledge and understanding into practice.
 To design using minimum hardware at the lower level of processing.

1.4. Scope of the project

The scope of this project is to develop a digital clock with 7 segment LED displays. In the
project we have developed a digital clock by using Arduino, seven segments LED displays, RTC
and other equipment. The digital clock displays time in hours and minutes, indicating seconds in
a blinking LED that blinks every second. And also we have added RTC in order to have a real
time with best accuracy, not forgetting two push buttons, one for Hr and another for Min, which
are used for manual adjusts of the time. As we know modern day digital clocks display time, date

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and also have other functionalities like alarm system, but we haven’t added these features as a
result of not getting materials like LED driver IC or shift registers, and shortage of time.

Chapter two

Literature review

The first digital pocket watch was the invention of Austrian engineer Josef Pall weber who
created his "jump-hour" mechanism in 1883. Instead of a conventional dial, the jump-hour
featured two windows in an enamel dial, through which the hours and minutes are visible on
rotating discs. The second hand remained conventional. By 1885 Pall weber mechanism was
already on the market in pocket watches by Cortébert and IWC; arguably contributing to the
subsequent rise and commercial success of IWC. The principles of Pall weber jump-hour
movement had appeared in wristwatches by the 1920s (Cortébert) and are still used today
(Chronoswiss Digiteur). While the original inventor didn't have a watch brand at the time, his
name has since been resurrected by a newly established watch manufacturer.[1]

Plato clocks used a similar idea but a different layout. These spring-wound pieces consisted of a
glass cylinder with a column inside, affixed to which were small digital cards with numbers
printed on them, which flipped as time passed.[2] The Plato clocks were introduced at the St.
Louis World Fair in 1904, produced by Ansonia Clock Company. Eugene Fitch of New York
patented the clock design in 1903. 13 years earlier Josef Pall weber had patented the same
invention using digital cards (different from his 1885 patent using moving disks) in Germany
(DRP No. 54093). The German factory Aktiengesellschaft für Uhrenfabrikation Lenzkirch made
such digital clocks in 1893 and 1894.[3]

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Chapter Three

Methodology
3.1. Block diagram

Time (seven segments)

RTC (Real time clock) ARDUINO UNO

Push button (sets hour and
Battery minute)

Second (blinking LED)

3.2. Flow chart

Start

Read value from RTC Seven segment and LED

SET No
button=0?

Configure mode

Press UP button to change

value

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3.3. Expected output

The expected output of this project is a digital clock that shows time with seven segments LED
display and indicating the second with blinking LED. Having pushbuttons to set time to the clock
to start counting from the time we want.

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Chapter Four

Work plan and Budget

4.1. Work plan

Weeks

S.No Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

D D D D D D D D D D D D
Proposed Task 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
1 Title of the project was selected
andapproved by the advisors
2 Background research reviews to
understand more about the
problem
3 Project proposal preparation
andsubmission
4 Design and analysis required to do
theproject.(including coding)
5 Gathering materials required for
theproject
6 Design and analysis correction with
respect to the prepared materials.
7 Hardware structure construction
basedon the design
8 Test for functionality of the project

9 Troubleshooting and Corrections

based on the observation in the
test
10 Paper preparation for the project

11 Presentation of the project

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4.2. Work budget

S.No Item Quantity Cost in ETB

1 Arduino Uno R3 1 550

2 Single digit Seven segment 4 60
3 Bread board 1 150
4 RTC 1 200
5 Push button 2 20
6 LED 2 10
7 Jumper wire 40 80
8 Battery 2 100
Grand Total 1170

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References

[1] How digital clock works (online). Available:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/digital-clock1.htm
[2] Digital Clock, 12 January 2012 (online). Available:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_clock
[3] Pan Thu Tun, “Development and Implementation of Microcontroller-based Digital Clock”,
World Academy of Science Engineering and Technology 42 2008, pp: 362-365.