PCB Clock/Timer

Self-soldered PCB Clock/Timer with three main functions: 24-hour clock, stopwatch, and timer that counts down from 99 minutes. I wanted to do this project specifically because it dealt with a skill I already had, however I wanted to practice my soldering skills and make sure I could deal with something I knew I was capable of. I remembered at my previous internship I was able to conduct my own projects with soldering kits, so those experiences are what inspired me to take on this project. The project was assembled with light-emitting diodes, an AT89C4051 microchip, some capacitors, resistors, crystal oscillators, and a 4-bit digital reader to display the numbers on the clock. This system is powered through a USB-power cord, so it must be hooked up to either a computer or USB power socket. I assembled this project utilizing the HIVE makerspace at Georgia Tech, using a soldering station to complete my work. Fortunately, the IC chip was already pre-programmed with each function for the clock. There are three main buttons on this clock. The second button changes which function you use, and switches between the 24-hour clock, the stopwatch, and the timer. The first and second button deal with sub-functions for each main function. For the clock function, the first button allows you to switch between each digit while the third allows you to change the digit to set the time. For the stopwatch function, the first button pauses the stopwatch while the third button resets it to zero. For the timer function, the first button pauses the timer while the third button resets the timer back to 99 minutes. This main goal of this project was to practice my skills in soldering and understand components commonly used in PCBs such as IC chips, capacitors, oscillator, and resistors. However, through this project I learned more about the specific arrangement of parts in a PCB, and how they must be compiled precisely and in a certain matter in order for the clock to function. For example, the resistors could be placed in any orientation because they are non-polar. The capacitors and IC chip however, needed to be placed in a certain position in order for the clock to function. The results of this project were a fully-functional 4 digit clock with all the functions I expected, so it was ultimately a success. Although I was satisfied with the results of the project, in the future I want to create a similar project but code the IC chip on my own.