
David Moisan wanted to outfit his local cable access station with a network-synchronized clock, but since an off-the-shelf NTP clock made for television stations would have cost around $1,000, purchasing even a single clock was out of the question. Not one to be deterred, he hacked up his own from a #Twatch, the ethernet-enabled LCD backpack from our friends at Dangerous Prototypes. Head over to David’s blog to check out the code and the incredibly thorough manual he wrote for the project. While this is is the first embedded microcontroller project David has ever finished, he assures us it won’t be his last. [via Dangerous Prototypes]










I bought this one a year or so ago for under $100. I put it in a nice extruded aluminum case. It sits in my wiring closet.
http://shop.tuxgraphics.org/electronic/detail_ntp_clock.html
ka1axy, nice link. The device I based this on is out of production, so I am looking for alternatives to recommend to others. There are a *lot* of ways to implement an NTP display nowadays.
My using the #Twatch was happenstance–I’d bought a Netduino Plus earlier and was going to try it out–with a nearly-identical LCD display I’d gotten at the MIT Flea! The Netduino will work for this use for about the same parts cost and size.
Next step is a bigger display. Unless someone makes a tablet-sized HD44780-based LCD,
I’ll use regular seven-segment LED’s.
Ya congratulations to you David Moisan for great work in TIME!!
// What's Trending
Raspberry Pi Design Contest
Seventeen Sneaky Secret Hides
Sneak Preview: The Wheeled Wonders of Maker Faire
Maker Faire Bay Area Ready for Showtime
10 Things to Connect to Your Raspberry Pi
Everyday Carry at Maker Faire
I Have a (Puzzling) Dream
New Arduino Robot Available in the Maker Shed at Maker Faire
// What's Shared
A better way to slice a pumpkin
DIY Nerf Darts
In the Maker Shed: Minty Boost USB Charger
100 Dollar Store Organization Ideas for Craft Rooms and Beyond
Mad’s Mouse House
Lace Princess Crowns
I Have a (Puzzling) Dream
Play the Rings of a Tree Trunk Like a Record
// Most Commented
DIY Hacks & How To’s: Get Emergency Power from a Phone Line
Resin Casting: Going from CAD to Engineering-Grade Plastic Parts
Ten Tips for Screws and Screwdrivers
Ten Tips for Better Measurement
Makers on TV: Big Brain Theory
Tool Review: BioLite CampStove
Pitches with Prototypes: Solar Tracker
Grow: A Portable CNC Router System