Support for Wi-Fi clock module?

[MacSass]

This thread is about "cheap" Wifi LED clock modules that have Wifi functionality through ESP8266 modules.
You can usually find those for about 5 - 8€ at e.g. AliExpress by searching for "led wifi clock module"
Unfortunately the firmware those LED clock modules come with mostly do not work outside of China, require very buggy apps for configuration or are limited to show time in Chinese time zone only.
Thats how they look:

So the goal was to check if the firmware could be replaced with something more versatile and eventually with Tasmota firmware.
Here is the current status as summary of the efforts of various people that helped to make this possible. Find details below.

There are currently 3 different modules available:

1.) XY-Clock
This one features a white PCB with a perpendicular small daughter board hosting the power connectors and an optional Bluetooth chip and aux socket.
Features a ESP8285 chip. The LED is driven by TM1650 chip and it also features a DS1307Z real time clock chip. Also has a buzzer. Picture:

Current status: This one has been made compatible with Tasmota firmware by @stefan-oskamp . It requires a special build Tasmota firmware right now. Binary compiled by @stefan-oskamp : https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota/files/10325715/tasmota-display-tm1650.zip
Work for integration into Tasmota is ongoing.

Required Tasmota configuration module: Generic

Summary of GPIOs

GPIO	Usage
GPIO0	LED (blue)
GPIO2	LED (red)
GPIO5	Buzzer PWM (1)
GPIO9	Button "K_DOWN"
GPIO10	Button "K_UP"
GPIO12	I2C SCL
GPIO13	I2C SDA
GPIO14	Contact "KEY"
GPIO16	Button "K_SET"

Set the display model etc. by using console with those commands:

        displaymodel 20
        displaytype 0
        displaymode 1          to show the time
        displaydimmer 50     to set display brightness. Works from 0 to 100 in 8 steps ...

This would be the recommended module if you are looking at Tasmota support. Pins for flashing are neatly layed out on the PCB, see details below.
@EdenRidgway also created a custom non-Tasmota firmware, which can be found here: https://github.com/EdenRidgway/XY-Wifi-Clock
Current AliExpress link: https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005002680590390.html

2.) 303WifiLC01 clock
This clock has a green PCB. Features an ESP ESP8266EX, TM1650 LED driver and a DS1302Z real time clock.
This one is not compatible with Tasmota yet as the LEDs are wired a bit differently (needs adjustment of the TM1650 driver) and the real time clock is not supported by Tasmota yet. Picture:

There is a non-Tasmota alternative firmware available here: https://github.com/maarten-pennings/303WIFILC01 which works fine for NTP synch and showing time.

Required PINs for flashing are neatly layed out, but watch the slightly confusing labeling of them!
This would be a recommended board if you want to build your own firmware, based off the pre-work done by maarten-pennings.
Current AliExpress link: https://de.aliexpress.com/item%2F1005003486084193.html

3.) LED Wifi clock module with "glued on" ESP12F module (white PCB).
This one has the same TM1650 led driver chip but a HYM8025T real time clock chip. The ESP 12F module makes all pins accessible (with small pitch though) - flashing PINs are only available on the ESP12F module. Picture:

Not much progress has been made in regard to support alternative firmware for those modules, although it seems feasible. Also those module do not seem to be too popular at AliExpress and are a bit more hard to source, but are usually the cheapest. Current AliExpress link:
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005003065084139.html

Follow below threads in regard to PCB layouts, fimware bin files and Tasmota integration progress. I´ll try to update that first post with more summary detail in the future. Thanks for all those that contributed to making this work.

[sfromis]

Right :-)

I'd not at all be surprised if both RTC chip and display controller are supported, but of course that's no certainty at all.

[MacSass]

This one even has the pins for flashing laid out:
https://de.aliexpress.com/item%2F1005003486084193.html

Not sure this has an ESP8266 though …

I have ordered one to see what is possible….

ps: One buyer stated that this one has an ESP8266EX

[sfromis]

It is clearly an Espressif logo on the square chip, and I'd be rather surprised if it is not an ESP8266.

If the RTC chip is compatible, you could also use such a board as a NTP server at home....

[MacSass]

I don’t think that the RTC or display needs even to be supported - I do have an identical board without ESP, running stand-alone.
So I think the ESP is only used to control some functions of the board, e.g. set the time and display brightness …
I’m wondering how to find out how it does that though, as I do not own an oscilloscope or logic analyser to “monitor” the GPIOs

[MacSass]

Here is a picture of the ESP on another board - maybe someone can take anything from this … I have ordered one from China …

[sfromis]

Still looks a lot like ESP8266EX, as expected. The letters are almost readable, and I'm convinced that the numbers match too. While the ESP32-C3 has the same number of pins, this is clearly not what's on that board, and would only be found on new designs, not such an older design copied a lot.

[MacSass]

Fun fact:
There seem to be 3 variants of that clock module with ESP:

• One has the ESP Module added to the board. It requires WeChat app for pairing it to Wifi and only seems to synch time to chinese time zone
  https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005003065084139.html

• One has the ESP fully integrated into the clock PCB. It seems to run an AP with webserver to pair to Wifi. Seems to allow synch time only, but might offer different time zones
  https://de.aliexpress.com/item%2F1005003486084193.html

• Third one has ESP integrated into clock PCB to, but has a 90 degree daughter board for power connections. This seems most advanced in configuration, as there is an app that allows to set clock, brightness and alarms ….
  https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005002680590390.html

All three options aren’t great, so being able to run those with Tasmota looks very interesting to me…

I did order option 1 and 2 to see what is possible…

[sfromis]

You can also get a variant with the daughter board having Bluetooth/MP3 audio.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002944153799.html

[MacSass]

I did receive two of the clock modules - and can confirm they do in fact run ESP8266EX / ESP8266MOD chips.
Unfortunately both different module have very stupid and unflexible implementations that virtually render them useless in Europe.

First one has the ESP nicely accessible as a sep. module on the clock PCB:

Unfortunately the developers decided to use WeChat app with a special plugin to configure it to your WIFI. This plugin is not available in Europe / US - thus you can´t get it connected to Wifi (it does not span open an access point).

Second one has the ESP fully integrated into the module, but pins for flashing nicely laid out:

This one opens an access point you connect to and has a webpage for configuration. Unfortunately you can only configure your Wifi credentials - but they forgot to allow for a time zone setting. So it always synchs to Chinese time ....

I do assume the ESPs communicate with the clock module via UART or something similar. I did order a logic analyzer to see if I can find out how it works.
If we can find out how to communicate with the clock it should be fairly easy to replace the exising code on the ESPs with something more helpful - e.g. Tasmota ...
As I don´t have much experience with reverse engineering - any inputs would be highly appreciated.

[sfromis]

From a quick look, both are using the TM1650 7-segment controller chip, which does not seem to have current Tasmota support. Not yet at least....

The bottom one has a DS1302 RTC chip, which was also found in another device, but it seems that no driver was made to support it.

The top one has a 8025T RTC chip which again does not seem to be among supported chips. That flat 20-pin chip is not readable, and may have some important role. But since both display and RTC are accounted for, I can't guess an obvious reason to have it, unless it is a MCU to control the device, and the ESP8266 merely used as a "wifi modem".

In principle, chips without named support just might be compatible with something supported.

Connections to the ESP8266 could likely be found by beeping using a standard multimeter. Usual strategy for creating new driver support would center around reading data sheets, more accessible than poring over a logic analyzer. If the 20-pin chip is indeed a MCU, a probable connection to the ESP8266 would be serial tx/rx.

[MacSass]

There is an alternative FW for this board (green PCB) available here:
https://github.com/maarten-pennings/303WIFILC01
This works way better than the factory FW, as it allows to set time zones as needed. I think this alternative FW can still be improved (e.g. store brightness level, etc.), but it is a great step forward making this usable outside of China time zone.
I will build upon this code ...

[stefan-oskamp]

Hi @MacSass, the models in this post don't seem to have a buzzer. Is that correct?
Is the P3 connector on the green board for power supply or is it connected to a GPIO? In the latter case, a buzzer could be connected to it.

[MacSass]

Hi @stefan-oskamp, yes the two boards listed above (303wifiLC01 - green PCB) and the one with the "glued on" ESP daughter board do not have a buzzer. Only the one you see below (XY-Clock) with the angled daughter PCB does have a buzzer. There is an additional board very, very similar to XY-Clock that seems to differ only in an additional Bluetooth chip for MP3 and a AUX socket.
All of those seem to use TM1650 as LED driver but RTC chips vary between DS1302 (XY-Clock and 303wifiLC01) and 8025T (the one with the glued-on ESP daughter board).
P3 on the 303wifiLC01 board is connected to power (+ and ground). Wondering if the IO00 of P2 connector could be used (would need to make sure it is not pulled down during boot though).
Sorry that this thread got a bit messy ... it developed over time :-)

[trip5]

Just came here to say I had a white flat 8402AB-31, it was in a bin waiting for my patience and I found some for it tonight. The functions of the clock seem intact even after flashing Tasmota to the ESP - ie changing the name, date, brightness level. Although I was successful in flashing, I cannot seem to get it to join my Wi-fi network and it does not seem to create a hotspot... it's probably I've damaged something...

Either way, the fact is that the LED display and functions aren't dependent on the ESP8266... so probably can't control the display with alternative firmware.

[MacSass]

I did receive my 3rd module today - and at least that one can be used in Europe.

It hosts a ESP8285 module.
It requires to use an app called "Sinilink" to pair the module with your wifi, but then you can configure it to your time zone and make changes like 12 hour / 24 hour format, set alarms, etc.
You can set the module to an "AP config" mode in which it also opens up a webserver, but I have not been able to set the wifi credentials yet without using the Sinilink app.
All communication seems to run through Sinilink Cloud that is hosted on alibaba servers. NTP time requests go to chinese NTP servers.
Also all communication for settings is running through the Sinilink cloud. As it does not use encryption I could see it using a JSON payload to send commands to the ESP.
While being usable, obviously it would be nice if the code on the ESPs could be replaced by e.g. Tasmota.
I did not have time yet to try and figure out the communication between ESP and the clock module yet - I will try that next with the cheap logic analyzer I bought.

[stefan-oskamp]

@Jason2866, thanks, submitted the PR -- "All checks passed." :-)

@MacSass, attached is an updated binary with the brightness level fixed.
tasmota-display-tm1650.zip

[MacSass]

Nice - thanks for the fixed version!
What would be a "good" overall configuration, considering buttons and buzzer ... I´m struggling with that but always get confused with Tasmota LEDState etc ...
Here is my current config - all buttons do currently change the display from on/off - guess I need to "unlink" them if I want to use them for other purpose. Any proposal how to use the buzzer in a meaningful way? My device crashed when I tried to configure the buzzer as a "relay".

[stefan-oskamp]

You need to set GPIO5 to PWM (1) to hear a sound. Then you should be able to switch it on/off with the first button.
Note that Led_i means inverted.

Summary of GPIOs

GPIO	Usage
GPIO0	LED (blue)
GPIO2	LED (red)
GPIO5	Buzzer
GPIO9	Button "K_DOWN"
GPIO10	Button "K_UP"
GPIO12	SCL
GPIO13	SDA
GPIO14	Contact "KEY"
GPIO16	Button "K_SET"

[MacSass]

Thanks! Wow - that buzzer is annoying :-) ... first time I got to hear that. LEDs still not work really like I want them to, but that´s a Tasmota configuration thing ... I always struggle with that.
So - for this module pretty much all is working thanks to your driver.
Have a good start to 2023 all ...

[sfromis]

When the buzzer is controlled as a PWM, you can tweak loudness as a dimmer, and adjust PWMFrequency to your liking.

[MacSass]

Thanks @sfromis for your continued inputs. Those are very helpful for me! Your comments reminded me that I had an "old" clock module without wifi which I looked at for comparison:

This has the RTC chip and display driver chip and features a small additional chip which is an STC 15L10W MCU.
So I tend to agree with you - obviously I underestimated the chinese developers and they are using the ESP to control the RTC and LED driver with it too.
So, the biggest hope seems to be the first board with the "glued on" ESP and the unmarked additional chip, that might be an MCU for the RTC and LED driver.
I soldered my cabling and will try my luck with the logic analyzer on this one. For the others I´m tempted to try flashing the ESP and try and find out if I can figure out the I2C GPIOs to replace it with own code ...

I keep updating - might take some time though, as this is only my side project (I think it would be cool to have a 4 digit integrated LED module with Tasmota)

[MacSass]

@Jason2866 : I fully agree with you, it developed over time ...
I´ll try to consolidate a summary in my first post with pictures, models and current status in regard to Tasmota and non Tasmota alternative firmware in the next days.
Don´t think I can clean up more - but a nice summary on first post should help those discovering this fresh.
@stefan-oskamp : Sounds good to me - never did anything on Blakadder so far and think you have the best insights in the current driver status ...

[sfromis]

Sure, it would make very much sense to have each of the now supported devices listed in the templates repository, including what's needed to configure. Arguably, it would not make sense not to do it.

[a-baturin]

Is the RTC working for you?

Sorry, @Jason2866 , didn't try it. Time sync is enough for me

[Jason2866]

Thx, for the feedback. Realized too, different RTC (not Tasmota Supported) on different GPIOs.
Same as for you, time sync via WiFi is good for me.

[MacSass]

Made a first pass at updating first post with summarized information. Comments welcome ...

[a-baturin]

I'd also be very happy to see Tasmota support for these clocks. I have the second one from @MacSass message.

I found alternative firmware for it https://github.com/deadbok/ntp-led-clock (did not tried it yet) and some reverse engineering https://github.com/maarten-pennings/303WIFILC01

I could successfully flash Tasmota to it via P1 with IO0 connected to GND. The screen is the issue, I could not display anything. Not a big surprise - TM1650 is not supported

[MacSass]

Wow @a-baturin - great find, thanks for sharing - looks like a lot is in place already ... need to find some time after Christmas to screen all this and see how to move on from here ... I´m afraid for getting Tasmota to run I´m not of a lot of help due to lack of know how on creating a Tasmota driver.

[EdenRidgway]

I have created a replacement firmware for the XY-Clock and uploaded it to Github: https://github.com/EdenRidgway/XY-Wifi-Clock. I had hoped to use https://github.com/deadbok/ntp-led-clock or https://github.com/maarten-pennings/303WIFILC01 but they didn't work for me so I decided to just write something from scratch. It's really early days and I've put it together pretty quickly so it isn't at all polished but I thought I'd rather share it now while there is some interest rather than wait until it is more fully formed. It currently has the following features:

• No need to install mobile app. Functionality controlled from ESP8285 on the clock.
• Easy setup of connection to Wifi network using temporary access point.
• Synchronisation with a Network Time Protocol server (NTP) to get the correct time.
• After a power failure it should be able to restore the correct time without any user intervention (saved Wifi credentials with specified timezone).

There is still quite a it to do and there are some issues which are listed in the Github readme. My objective is to try and get an end to end solution in place that has a page that allows one to set alarms and the timezone and then work on improving the code and the interface.

[MacSass]

Hi @EdenRidgway - nice - always good to have options.
What did not work for you with the one https://github.com/maarten-pennings/303WIFILC01? This one worked for me at least on my 303WifiLC01 clock with no problem (allthough I still see room for improvement). As the LED driver is the same I would have expected it to work on XY-Wifi-Clock as well ... but maybe there are differences.
As said - good to have options - although ultimately I still hope for Tasmota support and looks like @stefan-oskamp seems to have the know-how to make progress here (I don´t) ...

[EdenRidgway]

Hi @MacSass. Unfortunately the 303WIFICL01 failed for me at the first hurdle. When I attempted to run the dispself and fonttest sketches neither displayed anything on the display. It will be fascinating to see how the Tasmota version turns out. I suspect that one will need to use timers for "alarms". That being said I'm curious to understand the use case/advantage of using a Tasmota based firmware for this? Is it the ability to administer the wifi clock in a centralised way from HomeAssistant or something similar using MQTT?

[stefan-oskamp]

Hi @EdenRidgway, for me, the main benefit of Tasmota is that it can be updated over the air, but also its versatility.

I use Node-Red with the Node-Red dashboard for home automation. When I set the wake-up time in the dashboard, it is send to an ESP32 in my 40-year-old radio alarm clock that sets the alarm by virtually pressing the respective buttons. Though this works well, I do miss OTA updatability. Also, the plastic material of the clock has aged somewhat now over the decades.

However, the main use case for integrating an alarm clock in my home automation is to be able to do further automations, for example, switch off lights, heating and all when setting the alarm time, set the timer of the coffee machine to 45 minutes before wakeup and start the heating 15 minutes before wakeup.

In such a use case, setting the timer in Tasmota is quite easy. I hope that the snooze functionality can be implemented as a rule in Tasmota. If not, it can be implemented in Node-Red, in which case I would use a Zigbee button for it.

[MacSass]

Unfortunately the 303WIFICL01 failed for me at the first hurdle. When I attempted to run the dispself and fonttest sketches neither displayed anything on the display.

I just used the nCLC.ino.bin and flashed that to the 303WifiLC01 ... worked perfectly for me.

[trip5]

Started with this thread and started with @EdenRidgway firmware. Tried @stefan-oskamp Tasmota too. Tasmota certainly allows more hackability and I'm tempted to add a sensor or two to one but it's not easy to configure or expand on... not much "clock" function available without some serious fooling around with timers... maybe a Rule could be used to create something a bit more like a real alarm? I've got some more XY-Clocks on order so if I can contribute to the Tasmota side, I'll come back...

But with @EdenRidgway firmware, it's easy to set up and get it working. And when I showed my wife how easy it is to set it up, she was hooked... perfect for a travel clock to take with her on her next International trip. And I hope to contribute more to the project as I learn Arduino and Github.

[sfromis]

If you are interested in an already operational device with display, RTC chip, battery and able to run Tasmota, a very different (and higher price) device is the Ulanzi TC001 Clock, with 8x32 neopixels. Includes light sensor and a beeper. Also a somewhat silly internal temperature/humidity sensor which is going to be heated by running the processor and display. Very easy to flash Tasmota, just connect USB-C like to a dev board, and run the Tasmota Web Installer, or whatever able to flash ESP32.

[trip5]

Already the proud owner of 2 of the Ulanzi clocks (with ehmtxv2) - thanks @sfromis for the tip! - I'm still pretty happy with my 3 XY-Clocks... except that I really wanted to get them properly integrated with Home Assistant, if only to automatically dim them... instead of Tasmota (which works but lacks a lot), I started applying some of my know-how and persistence to getting a good implementation with ESPHome...

A work in progress but fairly useable already: https://github.com/trip5/EspHome-Led-Clock

[stefan-oskamp]

This is what I had put together so far:

XY-Clock Configuration and Rules

Overview of GPIOs

GPIO	Usage
GPIO0	LED (blue)
GPIO2	LED (red)
GPIO5	Buzzer
GPIO9	Button "K_DOWN"
GPIO10	Button "K_UP"
GPIO12	SCL
GPIO13	SDA
GPIO14	Contact "KEY"
GPIO16	Button "K_SET"

Configure display

Console commands:

displaymodel 20
displaytype 0
displaymode 1
displaydimmer 13

Rules

{"Timer1":{"Enable":1,"Mode":0,"Time":"19:56","Window":0,"Days":"1111111","Repeat":0,"Output":1,"Action":3}}

Rule1
 ON Clock#Timer=1 DO Backlog Power1 1; Delay 2; Power1 3; Ledpower1 0 ENDON
 ON Button1#State DO Backlog Power1 0; Ruletimer1 600; Ledpower1 1 ENDON
 ON Rules#Timer=1 DO Backlog Power1 1; Delay 2; Power1 3; Ledpower1 0 ENDON
 ON Button2#State DO Backlog Ruletimer1 0; Power1 0; Ledpower1 0  ENDON

Rule1 ON Clock#Timer=1 DO Backlog Power1 1; Delay 2; Power1 3; Ledpower1 0 ENDON ON Button1#State DO Backlog Power1 0; Ruletimer1 600; Ledpower1 1 ENDON ON Rules#Timer=1 DO Backlog Power1 1; Delay 2; Power1 3; Ledpower1 0 ENDON ON Button2#State DO Backlog Ruletimer1 0; Power1 0; Ledpower1 0 ENDON 


Timers on
Timer2 {"Enable":1,"Mode":1,"Time":"00:00","Window":0,"Days":"1111111","Repeat":1,"Output":2,"Action":3}
Timer3 {"Enable":1,"Mode":2,"Time":"00:00","Window":0,"Days":"1111111","Repeat":1,"Output":2,"Action":3}

Rule2
 ON Clock#Timer=2 DO Displaydimmer 100 ENDON
 ON Clock#Timer=3 DO Displaydimmer 13 ENDON

Rule2 ON Clock#Timer=2 DO Displaydimmer 100 ENDON ON Clock#Timer=3 DO Displaydimmer 13 ENDON

Rule3 ON Button3#State DO Backlog Displaymode 0; Displaytext HELO; Delay 20; Displaymode 1 ENDON

[MacSass]

@trip5 : Nice find, I was not aware that the 303WiFiLC01 support had been added to Tasmota as well. I will update my initial post above to make that clear, so new people always have the latest status on top and don´t have to read all the conversation.
@stefan-oskamp : Nice job on the rules, I add that to top post as well. If I understand correctly, you listed the "what the rules do" and "one line console command" how to set them up, right? Still need to figure them out fully ...

[stefan-oskamp]

Yes, that is exactly right. It is probably better to only have the one-line version formatted as code.
Some explanations:

• Timer1 is an example how to set the alarm using action=3 (activate rule).
• Rule 1:
  • Upon alarm timer: Adds a short delay (don't remember why), then applies the action (3 = interval beep) and switches off the red LED indicating alarm off. (You should set blinktime=2 for a reasonable interval beep.)
  • Upon button 1 (snooze): Stops the buzzer, starts a timer (10 minutes), switches red LED on.
  • Upon snooze timer: Start buzzer, red LED off.
  • Upon button 2 (alarm off): Stops snooze timer, buzzer off, red LED off.
• Timer 2 and 3, together with rule 2: Dim the display at sunrise/sunset (Mode 1/2). Remember to also set your latitude/longitude.
• Rule 3: Show "HELO" for two seconds ;-)

Tasmota rules are quite powerful.

[MacSass]

Thanks for the explanation - I might add at least the "set brightness by time of day" to my first post ...

[MacSass]

@stefan-oskamp: Would you be able to provide an updated compiled binary that works with both clock modules? I would then add this link to my first post, so people can use it. I would do it myself - but I never actually compiled my own Tasmota firmware ...
Thanks in advance, if you can ...

[s-hadinger]

I now have an Ulanzi clock. When Matter is more stable, I plan to do cool stuff with Ulanzi.

[sfromis]

Hypfer also has a Ulanzi Tasmota project https://github.com/Hypfer/ulanzi-tc001-tasmota/
based on https://github.com/iliaan/ulanzi-lab/

[trip5]

Clicking around Ali... found another variant. They look to have 16 pin chips which is probably a TM1650 or similar. Definitely has ESP8266EX chips on board and even what looks to be ESP-12 style pins visible which look hookable so no need to solder. Seems a bit more expensive than the others and no buzzer. Just thought I'd share.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004407914720.html

[MacSass]

I agree - AliExpress can be a mess with international sites ... the "de..." link above does not work for me, also I already hat tried to look for search for item number

strangely it re-directs to https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804221599968.html ... for whatever reason. AliExpress magic :-)
Anyway - I found it now - e.g. here: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005256220511.html but not shipping to Germany, which might be the reason why I could not access the previous link.
Found another one that ships to Germany, but for ridiculous high module price of 19$ ...

[sfromis]

That last link is not the same module, but a different layout on a longer board. Some image reuse of configuration app setup. Prior link does look like what was posted here. At least seen from my side of the border.....

[MacSass]

This is what this link shows to me: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005256220511.html

and yes, you are right - this looks different again. Looks like a "hybrid" of XY-Clock and 303WifiLC01 clock ... guess several companies just jump on this bandwagon and do their own layouts now.

[trip5]

The white PCB one is definitely a revision of the "glued-on" ESP... actually it even has the same model number stamped on the top (8402AB-31). As I said in another post, this one looks like the LED display is NOT controlled by the ESP... since reflashing it with Tasmota didn't even affect the buttons or ability to set the time...

The black PCB one (SMA5643AHL-EF) looks a little different but as you point out, the seller is re-using the pics from the Wi-fi setup for both...

I'm just wondering how much customization can be done if the R8025 stands between the ESP and the TM1650... Looking at the R8025 Data sheet I'm thinking that perhaps it is capable of feeding the TM1650 directly? And the ESP is only there to maintain clock accuracy in the 8402 and the SMA "standard" version...? The "online-only" version of the SMA appears to lack this chip so maybe it relies more on the ESP? I'm not sure how much I wanna spend $20 just to answer those questions.

@MacSass if you're having trouble finding the ones I'm talking about, it at least appears you've got the right seller. Just search the store for Wifi clocks.

[MacSass]

Good catch @trip5 - think your right, maybe this is the second revision where they not glue on the ESP anymore, but integrated the ESP better.
I never found the time to actually try something with that board, but always felt it might eventually really not drive the LED directly.
Not sure it is worth investigating, as we seem to have better options with the other boards and Tasmota or ESPHome ...
PS: AliExpress doesn´t show ANY products from that reseller - I guess because he does not seem to ship to Germany ...

[trip5]

Coming back to this thread because I finally received my 303 Clock (the flat one with the brown battery holder for the RTC)... And I took a chance and updated my ESPHome YAML to make a very usable firmware that supports both the 303 and the Sinilink XY-Clock...

https://github.com/trip5/EspHome-Led-Clock

Meanwhile, Aliexpress keeps trying to sell me more of these things. I am really thinking heavily about this one: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005704533418.html

It claims to have an ESP8266 in it... and a gyro sensor so it can be flipped upside down and still show the time! I'm thinking it probably uses a TM-something to control regular LEDs soldered to daughter boards... just a very retro 7-segment display... but it's kind of expensive. It's a bit suspicious it says the config page (via hotspot is 10.10.10.1).

And lol this one definitely could support custom firmware, it says the new firmware no longer requires Wechat and it's hotspot config page is even 192.168.4.1 (ESP default):

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004961231791.html

[MacSass]

Thanks @trip5 for the details on those ...
The dot matrix one still sounds interesting, although for my purpose of a big size (but small) wifi connected travel clock it still seems to be too bright.
I´ll watch your repo to see if you can get it to fly with Tasmota, then i´d be interested to use it as a versatile multi-purpose display with clock.

PS: I fully understand your point about the "clock addiction", have a hard time explaining why I have 6 on my desk :-)

[trip5]

I'm back. Spent a few days with the clock getting it some basic functionality with Tasmota, then ESPHome. It works pretty well though I admit I still have a lot more to uncover and work on... the RTC appears to be a DS3231 (supposedly similar to the DS1307) but I still haven't gotten around to actually putting a battery in it and testing it. Lol. Not sure how well it will work as a display with Tasmota since the font size was the Max7219Digit default (ie. B I G & W I D E) but with ESPHome I managed to get entire sentences to scroll by.

I made some Tasmota notes on my new repo: https://github.com/trip5/EspHome-Led-PixelClock

If you know how to get custom fonts onto Tasmota, I'm very curious to learn. I have a BDF font repo which looks great on this and other matrix clocks.

The brightness issue... I'm wondering if it's not possible to dim it even further by simply replacing some of the SMD resistors. I'll have to take it apart to get the RTC battery in there anyways... but I hate working with SMDs. But aren't these types of LEDs controlled by resistors? I will confess that with ESPHome on the lowest brightness, I am also encountering some flicker in the top and bottom rows of lit LEDs... not sure what that's about.

[sfromis]

Looks like the MAX7219 font used is here:
https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota/blob/development/lib/lib_display/LedControl/src/font_6x8_base.h
Used by the draw routine here:
https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota/blob/development/lib/lib_display/LedControl/src/LedMatrix.cpp#L128

I see no current way of switching font without driver modification.

[MacSass]

As there does not seem to be a clock that fulfills all my clock addiction desires, especially in being dark enough at night but bright during the day, I currently tempted to go for a LCD display with integrated ESP32, that should give me all the flexibility that I look for.
E.g. like this one: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005938861565.html

But it has been a fun trip here, seeing what is possible in enhancing those modules.

[jekader]

The matrix clock looks conceptully similar to this DIY kit: https://github.com/anabolyc/esp-led-matrix-clock

[drgkt]

Hi.
I just got one like MacSass and operating it via Sini Link app.
Does anyone know what the battery is used for?
I can confirm that, with the battery, the display does not stay on upon power removal and, without the battery, the unit remembers it's settings and reconnects to wifi after power restoration.
I do not see any difference with or without the battery.
Thanks
G

[drgkt]

@stefan-oskamp
Like sfromis said, antistatic bag filters nicely and you do not have to glue it to the display.

[MacSass]

Thanks for the inputs on filtering foil of antistatic bag and the note about Fixogum, had not heard about it before ... that together with a small 3D printed enclosure might make a nice Wifi clock ...

[drgkt]

Just to make sure:
If the red led is blinking it means it is not connected to wifi, correct?

[sfromis]

Probably yes (Wifi or MQTT if configured), assuming that you have configured the led for such indications.

[drgkt]

Did not configure anything. Like I said it is running original (shipped) firmware.
I am asking because I saw it both blinking and steady.

[pingel20]

@stefan-oskamp
Is there a ready made firmware.bin that does not show a leading zero when displaying the time?
Latest bin I find here is from 30 Dec.

Thank you

[stefan-oskamp]

There have been a couple of changes to the code for the TM1650 display module recently. If I remember correctly, one of them was to remove the leading zero. Another was to make the colon blink with 1 Hz (which I don't like). Most of the code changes were in relation to merging code for different modules and variants. You might want to check the Tasmota release notes and read the linked issues.
Before I would try and build a current release, I would have to get me another XY-Clock since the one that I have is in production now ;-)

[pingel20]

Thanks for your reply.
Hmm...yeah you mean this one:
#18109

Colon flashes every second. I don't like that either.

So if I would do a manual compile it will include this colon flashing. No option to disable this.
I have to think about it. :(

[trip5]

That felt like a suggestion for my ESPHome yaml... now the colon could be turned off/blinking/on with an easy option in the WebUI. Just letting you know... as much as I live Tasmota, some things are just more easily done with ESPHome.

https://github.com/trip5/EspHome-Led-Clock

[pingel20]

trip5

I'm already running your yaml. Works great.
I removed the 'if blinking' statement (want to have the colon always on) AND
I set the leading zero to a space in case of a 24hr time format.

A leading zero is generally not preferred in areas with 24hr format.

Do you know if it's possible to set a value via a link?
e.g.
http:///brightness=5 or
http:///brightness/5

[trip5]

Not by a link in a web browser, I don't think so. It's supposed to work by REST API https://esphome.io/web-api/index.html

Something like
curl -X POST -i http://192.168.1.40/number/brightness_select/set?value=0
or
curl -X POST -i http://192.168.1.40/button/display_ip/press

I got it working in the past but I cannot right now. If you're not going to use POST, then it's not useful for you anyways.

[drgkt]

I am looking for similar device (wifi synchronized) showing day, date, time including seconds either all at once or alternating, with choice to auto adjust for standard / daylight savings time powered in addition to USB by AA / AAA batteries. (Not interested in liquid crystal displays that cannot be seen in the dark, nor a huge wall type unit).
Anyone has a suggestion?
Thanks!

[sfromis]

In Tasmota, the font is found here in the source code, open for modification.
https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota/blob/development/tasmota/tasmota_xdsp_display/xdsp_20_tm1650.ino#L189-L205

[trip5]

As for displaying the day, with the matrix clock, you can literally display anything available in strftime. Go do some more reading about that here: https://esphome.io/components/time/?highlight=strftime#strftime and https://strftime.org/ - I have mine display something like "Mon 23". I even tested it with a longer format like "Monday October 23, 2023" but it scrolls by and I didn't like how it looks.

It is (unfortunately) only able to display English abbreviations, thanks to how ESPHome does NOT properly have localization. Trust me, I've tried. Others have tried.

On the EHMTXv2 project, I helped some alternative to localization (text replacement actually) but that was seriously hard and unless I feel motivated, I won't be adding that code to the Matrix clock... but maybe eventually.

And dude, just because it's possible does not mean it's feasible. But if you're really that highly motivated to make a 7-segment display fully capable of displaying "MON" then maybe you should just try... Before doing these projects, I didn't know the first thing about C++. I still barely know anything. But I learn by trying and so can you. You asked for options... started dreaming about possibilities... that's exactly what programmers do... but unless getting paid, no one's going to program your idea for you. Take your own motivation and try...

Like the bit about ESPHome having localization. It's pretty obvious that the lead programmers are Anglo... so it's going to take a non-English programmer with motivation enough to make it work to get that added to the code. That's the beauty of open-source: you don't have to start from scratch.

[drgkt]

Sorry guys, I haven't the slightest clue about programming and at my age, as the saying goes, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Just gotten this gadget because I like precise clocks and throwed some ideas around.

I am tempted to get the matrix clock that can show day, but I doubt someone will be willing to walk me through, starting with the VERY basics, like gathering what I need!

I wish to thank everyone though for "listening"!

[trip5]

Ah, well then I 100% recommend the matrix clock. It's fairly simple to flash and even if you can't get ESPHome going on your own, I could compile a YAML for you and send you the BIN file... Flashing is as simple as plugging it into your computer, running a flash app, holding down a button, pressing reset, and wait 2 minutes.

Head over to my repo and open an issue there (call it "Help" or something) and I'll help you out... https://github.com/trip5/EspHome-Led-PixelClock

[drgkt]

Sorry for the delayed response, as you know life is more than these fun stuff!

Wow! I am pleasantly surprised and deeply obliged!
I am glad there are people willing to share their knowledge.

I am putting in the order, I hope it arrives fairly soon, and heading off to your repo!

Did I say thanks?!

[trip5]

If you really want an LED clock that syncs time over Wifi, I'd suggest getting something like a Raspberry Pi Uninterrupted Power supply. It'll kick in when the power goes out and your clock should still function for days. Or you can just Do It Yourself.

[trip5]

Final reading after 24 hours 2533mAh, and that's with only 1 connect to Wi-fi (power usage jumps a bit) and re-syncing time every 8 hours.

So yeah with typical 18650s, you'd need you'd need 4-5 for just 2 days of power... I'm checking the above matrix clock too but it's basically the same...

[trip5]

The matrix clock checks out at 2230mAh for 24 hours... a little less... more efficient LEDs perhaps?

[trip5]

Tried the matrix clock at work where it wouldn't be able to connect to wifi... I wondered if it eats a bit more power if constantly trying to connect to wi-fi. It did 730mAh in 7h20m... ie about 2390mAh in 24 hours. So... a bit more, yes.

[trip5]

Looks like I'm talking to myself here but it looks like jessierockz has pulled a huge power-saving feature into ESPHome... the ability to continue operating while turning off Wifi. It's in the dev branch now so should be in ESPHome 2023.12.1. By turning off the Wifi, the matrix clock went from 2200mAh while connected, 2200-3200 while seeking wifi... all the way down to 1600mAh per 24 hours.

For anyone still looking at this... the PR is here: esphome/esphome#4810 and the documentation has already been added here: https://esphome.io/components/wifi.html

I'm in the process of adding some cool power-saving functionality to my clock repos now.

[sfromis]

That's similar to what Tasmota has with the Wifi command able to turn on/off Wifi.

[jekader]

On a related topic, there are also VFD clocks around featuring ESP8266 and dot matrix displays which look neat. Their display controller is not supported by Tasmota at the time but sample source code is available.

1. Saisaiwa VFD clock:

The source code is published for both the hardware and software. Specs I could find:

• ESP-12S module
• PT6315 VFD driver
• 7-BT-317NK 6.5 digit VFD panel

Product home page in Chinese: http://www.saisaiwa.com/archives/vfd-clock-userdescription
Board schematics and other hardware sources: https://oshwhub.com/yc_chen/vfd-317nk-qu-dong-ban
Source code of the firmware it ships with: https://github.com/ccy-studio/CCY-VFD-7BT317NK

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005006065308262.html

2. Unnamed VFD clock 1

Not much info about this one.

• ESP-12S module
• 8-MD-06INKM 8 digit 5x7 dot matrix VFD panel
• R8025 RTC with battery
• single button that initiates NTP sync

Different clock using the same panel with schematics, datasheets, etc: https://oshwhub.com/thelight/mini8-wei-vfd-shi-zhong-_2022-10-06#P2

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005899159729.html

3. Unnamed VFD clock 2

Similar to the one above but with a 7-segment panel from a DVD player

• ESP-12S module
• 7 digit 7 segmen VFD panel plus special icons
• R8025 RTC with battery
• single button that initiates NTP sync
  
  

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005006064976124.html

[jekader]

Sure, here's the original firmware dump from my device before any configuration took place: https://jekader.net/VFD_clock/8-MD-06INKM_fw_dump.bin

Looking at a diff of the configured firmware, the wifi user is set at offset 003fb000 and the password at 003fb020

You can also compare the provided image with the one you can dump using esptool:

esptool read_flash 0x00000 0x400000 dump2.bin
diff <(hexdump -C dump1.bin) <(hexdump -C dump2.bin)

obviously, to read/write firmware you would need to solder to UART pads, then turn on the device with the button pressed to make it boot into firmware mode.

[trip5]

Took me a bit to do a proper diff. Lol. Windows is just disabled for stuff like this so ended up using my HA box. Anyways, huge differences. But... that doesn't mean they're very different, it only takes a re-compilation with one change to see something like that.

Since I'm planning on (eventually) doing something ESPHome-related with this, I'll just add both our firmwares here: https://github.com/trip5/EspHome-VFD-Clock - I'll try out yours in the next few days. It might be useful to compare using a proper hex editor (been ages since I've done that) but probably not going to learn much more than just flashing it and checking it out. I suspect the only real difference will be the brightness control.

By the way, I used the command esptool.py --port COM11 -b 460800 read_flash 0 ALL flash_contents_4MB.bin to extract the firmware instead of specifying flash locations (ALL seems to use the detected memory size anyways).

[trip5]

I'm back. I never did get around to trying your firmware. Actually life had me busy...

And I really wanted to port my ESPHome Clock code to the VFD Clock. I ended up having to create a custom component driver for ESPHome, not entirely sure what I was doing at first and eventually it blew up in size and function when I realized how flexible this display actually is.

It's fully functional and multilingual, as much as a matrix display (almost). When you have time @jekader, you can take a look: https://github.com/trip5/EspHome-VFD-Clock

I'm pretty proud of it.

[jekader]

Wow, that is awesome and just in time for the DST change in Europe: had to do it manually on my VFD clock but will now re-flash it with ESPhome instead! Thanks, will report here and post issues/comments on the project repo if I hit anything.

[jekader]

After a few days using your solution, I must say it works great! Connected it to Home Assistant and it even prints custom text now. Awesome work, thanks for sharing it with the community!

[jkwim]

Interested in getting a XY-Clock
Are the drivers complete for DS1307 & TM1650 in latest version of Tasmota?

[jkwim]

Interested in getting a XY-Clock
Are the drivers for DS3207 and TM1650 ready in latest release of Tasmota?

[trip5]

https://templates.blakadder.com/XY-Clock.html TL;DR: Yes but not as easy as downloading the bin. You'll have to compile your own but that's easy with gitpod: https://tasmota.github.io/docs/Gitpod/

[jkwim]

Thanks.
I can get a custom compilation done.

Few weeks back I had a discussion to get another RTC device working. I wanted to implement a NTP server in it.
#20422

Only two days back that I came across this discussion.

[stefan-oskamp]

I just have compiled a Tasmota binary for the XY-Clock with TM1650 and RTC (DS3231) support based on a fresh check-out of the master branch (Tasmota 13.4.0).

As opposed to the pre-release binary that I posted earlier in this thread, this one does not show a leading zero for hours 1 ... 9, in accordance with Gabriele Lauricella's updates to the TM1650 driver . He also added a blinking colon, which I disabled in this binary ;-)

I didn't have to make any configuration changes after I updated the firmware.

You can update over the air if you already have Tasmota flashed on your XY-Clock, but you need to first flash tasmota-minimal.bin.gz to make room for the TM1650 compressed binary. If you are flashing over the serial interface, you should not use the minimal binary, because you cannot configure Wi-Fi.

Enjoy!

Edit: Tuns this firmware still shows a zero in the leftmost position (e.g., 01:23 instead of _1:23).

tasmota-display-TM1650-RTC.bin.gz

[jkwim]

Thanks a lot.
My order is in transit and expect to receive it in a couple of days. Will give it a try.

Would it be possible to share the platformio config that you used? I would like to add RTC_NTP_SERVER

BTW I ordered the one with the Bluetooth capability also:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003015501935.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.42.21ef1802RJo7XQ

[stefan-oskamp]

I made the following changes after cloning the master branch:

platformio_override.ini:

default_envs            =
; *** Uncomment the line(s) below to select version(s)
;                          tasmota
[...]
                          tasmota-display

Add to user_config_override.h before the last #endif:

#define USE_RTC_CHIPS                          // Enable RTC chip support and NTP server - Select only one
  #define USE_DS3231                           // [I2cDriver26] Enable DS3231 RTC (I2C address 0x68) (+1k2 code)
#define USE_DISPLAY                            // Add I2C/TM1637/MAX7219 Display Support (+2k code)
  #define USE_DISPLAY_TM1650                   // [DisplayModel 20] [I2cDriver74] Enable TM1650 display (I2C addresses 0x24 - 0x27 and 0x34 - 0x37)

Source for TM1650 is in tasmota_xdsp_display/xdsp_20_6m1650.ino.

After building in Platformio, you find the binary and compressed binary in build_output/firmware.

I noticed that the code to blank a zero in the leftmost position only did so in 12-hour mode and also not if display modes 1 to 5 are enabled. So I changed that and tested it this morning. Therefore, I attach another compressed firmware binary -- this time with a blank instead of a zero in the leftmost position.
tasmota-display-TM1650-RTC.bin.gz

[jkwim]

Received the unit today.
However I am struggling with flashing it.
I am using Tasmotizer.

I tried using the following :

Pin	Function	FTDI
1	GND	GND
2	TX	RX
3	RX	TX
4	GPIO0	GND when flashing firmware
5	CHIP_EN
6	VCC	VCC

Kept GPIO0 grounded and plugged in the USB-TTL in to the laptop.
Started Tasmotizer Flash button and then released GPIO0 but no luck.

I am using my tried and tested customized flashing board where I have connected two switches for pulling RESET and GPIO0 to GND.
The sequence that worked for me all these years using the board was:

While keeping GPIO0 switch pushed (to GND) push the RESET button (to GND) and release RESET followed by GPIO0

This has always worked.

However here we don't have access to RESET pin but CHIP_EN.

I tried connecting the switch to CHIP_EN and pulling it down also but it does not seem to work.

In your configuration above you left CHIP_EN unconnected right?

[stefan-oskamp]

It is more than a year ago that I flashed the device over wire, but I think I pulled CHIP_EN up.
Also, always double-check that RX connects to TX and vice versa, and that VCC is set to 3.3 V. (These are my most stupid errors.)

[stefan-oskamp]

BTW: Did anyone bother to check out what the "LOCK" solder bridge would do?

[jkwim]

Seems CHIP_EN can be used to reset:
http://hallard.me/esp8266-autoreset/
Pulled up CHIP_EN via a 10k resistor and was able to flash (kept GPIO0 pulled down during flashing).

Basic setup works now. WIll play with RULES later.

Thanks a lot for your work!

[jkwim]

Perhaps another LED?

[sfromis]

To me, "LOCK" indeed looks like a place for another LED.

[trip5]

You are connecting RX to TX and TX to RX right? You shouldn't have to leave GPIO0 grounded for more than a second. You should probably also power it with your flasher if possible. I usually connect in order: VCC (3V3), GPIO-GND, RX, TX, and last ground. This should ensure it enters flash mode correctly (you shouldn't need to disconnect ground to able to flash). I'm not sure that Reset button actually cuts power to the ESP long enough... it never worked for me either.

You may not be getting a good connection. In my experience with these things (which I have probably flashed dozens of times this way lol), it sometimes takes more than a dozen tries to get it flashed. Sometimes I have to reboot my computer, use different usb ports, different wires, etc, etc. I personally use dupont cables with sewing needles jammed in them... Make sure through Device Manager that you're actually seeing a com port and you got the right one in Tasmotizer. Dupont cables are notoriously finicky BTW.

[jkwim]

I used these jumper cables and a small breadboard to marry with Dupont cables. It worked.

[jkwim]

We should be able to use Timer function to turn on/off display right?

[stefan-oskamp]

On mine it's output 2, so using a Timer is possible, but I'm wondering what your use case is.

I'm using a rule to set the brightness to min/max on sunset/sunrise. This can be useful if you have reduced the brightness with, e.g., gluing paper onto the display. Then it can be dark enough during the night and bright enough during the day. You might have to test with different types of paper.

[jkwim]

I suppose the alarm settings can be programmed using this GUI easily. I have not tried but the action can be linked to a RULE which
which handles the alarm.

[stefan-oskamp]

Depending on how you want to use the clock, it is much more convenient to set the alarm time from your home automation dashboard. For me, that is the whole purpose of an alarm clock with Tasmota, because you can combine it with other automations required (e.g. heating).

You can set the alarm timer via, e.g., MQTT in JSON as follows:

{"Timer1":{"Enable":1,"Mode":0,"Time":"19:56","Window":0,"Days":"1111111","Repeat":0,"Output":1,"Action":3}}

A rule to handle the timer, switch the buzzer to "blink" mode and handle buttons 1 (Snooze) and 2 (Stop):

Rule1
 ON Clock#Timer=1 DO Backlog Power1 1; Delay 2; Power1 3; Ledpower1 0 ENDON
 ON Button1#State DO Backlog Power1 0; Ruletimer1 600; Ledpower1 1 ENDON
 ON Rules#Timer=1 DO Backlog Power1 1; Delay 2; Power1 3; Ledpower1 0 ENDON
 ON Button2#State DO Backlog Ruletimer1 0; Power1 0; Ledpower1 0  ENDON

Note: You need to copy paste this as a single line into the console, like so:

Rule1 ON Clock#Timer=1 DO Backlog Power1 1; Delay 2; Power1 3; Ledpower1 0 ENDON ON Button1#State DO Backlog Power1 0; Ruletimer1 600; Ledpower1 1 ENDON ON Rules#Timer=1 DO Backlog Power1 1; Delay 2; Power1 3; Ledpower1 0 ENDON ON Button2#State DO Backlog Ruletimer1 0; Power1 0; Ledpower1 0 ENDON 

You can paste the following into the console to set timers and a rule for changing the display at sunrise/sunset:

Timers on
Timer2 {"Enable":1,"Mode":1,"Time":"00:00","Window":0,"Days":"1111111","Repeat":1,"Output":2,"Action":3}
Timer3 {"Enable":1,"Mode":2,"Time":"00:00","Window":0,"Days":"1111111","Repeat":1,"Output":2,"Action":3}
Rule2 ON Clock#Timer=2 DO Displaydimmer 100 ENDON ON Clock#Timer=3 DO Displaydimmer 13 ENDON

And another rule as an example for button 3 and showing a text for a short time:

Rule3 ON Button3#State DO Backlog Displaymode 0; Displaytext HELO; Delay 20; Displaymode 1 ENDON

[sfromis]

Beware that using Delay in rules is not reliable timing, as it can be cut short by other commands unrelated to the operations being performed.

Tasmota has a new feature for timed power on, like: TimedPower1 600000,on
First argument is time in millisconds, and 2nd just like the normal Power commands. It will revert (like power off) after the interval.

BTW. If you copy/paste the 5-line example into the Tasmota console as one operation, it will automatically become single line.

[stefan-oskamp]

It seems I have found the ultimate hackable ESP-12 based LED alarm clock for smart home integration. I have started a separate discussion for it: #21376