RSSForm and Functions - Awesome homemade calculator watch (make your own too!)
David Jones really liked his old Casio CFX-400 scientific calculator watch. As a professional electronics design engineer, he appreciated the greater functionality it had over other calculator watches, which typically support only the four basic functions. He was saddened when his 20-year-old Casio finally bit the dust, so when he looked around and realized there was no one making scientific calculator watches anymore, he decided to make his own.
He calls it the μ Watch ("Micro Watch"). His goals were to make a scientific calculator watch that was good-looking and practical, and could be assembled from off-the-shelf parts.
"I could have designed a custom case for it, and used custom parts to get the size down and make it look like a store-bought watch, but there was no fun in that! Using off-the-shelf parts was a real challenge and in the end was the most satisfying aspect of the project," Jones recalls.
A resident of Sydney, Jones has been publishing projects in Australian electronics magazines since he was 15. Besides his μ Watch, he's designed and built his own solar air heater called the Solar Sponge, and written an interactive exercise program that runs on iPods and other MP3 players. He also likes to get involved with serious home renovation projects.
Jones has released his μ Watch source code under the GPL to encourage third-party development, and he sells kits for those interested in building one. He includes a complete schematic and detailed photos on his website.
And the μ Watch isn't limited to being just a scientific calculator. Its programming port, universal I/O port, and optional infrared remote interface let you connect it to almost anything. "With the two-line LCD, full keypad, and 16-bit microprocessor, it's really a powerful general-purpose computing and control platform," Jones points out.
If you want a μ Watch that controls your TV, plays games, or commands other user-designed devices, just add some software. --Bruce Stewart, Made on Earth MAKE volume 15 page 20.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Oct 10, 2008 12:51 PM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Gadgets, Made On Earth, Wearables |
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| Posted by: Paul on October 10, 2008 at 2:02 PM |
Last line in the article is a bit deceptive.
I don't see an IR or RF or any other sort of transmitter on the watch schematic, so the only way you can control a TV with that watch is to bang it against the buttons on the TV's remote. Of course you wouldn't need any more software for that. :)
| Posted by: d0ubled on October 10, 2008 at 2:19 PM |
LED 1 is labeled as an IR led. This would allow tv control.
A cool little project, though I cannot see wearing it on my wrist ;).
 |
Posted by: mlange.myopenid.com on October 10, 2008 at 7:16 PM |
Just don't wear it to the airport.
| Posted by: Taxonomer_X on October 10, 2008 at 10:17 PM |
"A cool little project, though I cannot see wearing it on my wrist ;)."
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Scientific Calculator Belt Buckle.
Yeah, I am from Texas.
| Posted by: Paul on October 13, 2008 at 11:52 AM |
Heh. Sure enough, LED1 is IR... don't know how I missed that the first time. My bad.
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