Wise Clock sketch

In essence, what the Wise Clock sketch (download from here) does is to display, by scrolling from right to left, two pieces of information:

• the current time, retrieved from a real time clock (RTC) and
• a quotation (a one-liner piece of text) retrieved from an external EEPROM.

Some auxiliary functionality offered by the sketch:

• allows user interaction through a Sony TV remote control and through the "Menu" push button (useful when testing or when the remote is not at hand);
• displays selectable menu items;
• sleep mode (turn display off);
• time could be set through the remote control;
• uses different colors for display.

Troubleshooting the Wiseduino board

One of the most common problem reported when building an Arduino-clone (not necessarily Wiseduino) is the failure to communicate with the board, that is, the sketch cannot be uploaded.

Here are a few things to check in this case.

- make sure the polarity is correct: the 5V and GND pins in the power connector are indicated in silkscreen;
- measure the current taken by the board; this would give an indication if there is a short somewhere; normally, when only the Wiseduino board is powered (no shields attached), the
consumption should not be higher than 30-50 mA, at most;
- the power switch must have the "lever" towards the female headers to power the board;
- the batteries must be rechargeables (1.2V each, making about 4.8V together); 4 regular AA (new) batteries would provide at least 6V, a bit too much for the ICs;

- make sure the FTDI cable is inserted correctly: ground (black wire) closer to the female headers;
- are the ICs properly inserted into their sockets (so that the notches match, see the photos for assembly instructions)?

A lot more explanations should be provided, no doubt. Your comments, observations, issues are welcome. Also, your contribution to the development and refinement of this code is appreciated.

Related posts:

• Wise Clock