AVR Scope Clock H3.1

Make your X-Y capable analog oscilloscope more useful!

Your oscilloscope can do a lot more using the

Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock

Hardware version 3.1 Firmware version 4.3

After 10 years of providing kits for this oscilloscope clock, I have decided to stop making them. Kits are no longer available.

I've made the PCB design files available here. A complete parts list is available here (courtesy of B.B.). The PCB is also available as a shared project on PCBWay.

Email me with questions:

Look at the Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock, with firmware version V4.3

Hardware features:

	Connects to your analog scope in X-Y mode using BNC cables or probes (1x, 10x)
	Uses the Atmel AVR Atmega328p with 32KB flash memory
	On board 5V power regulator for use with user provided wall adapter (8-15V DC center positive)
	Standard power socket (5.5mm outside diameter)
	On-board Real-Time Clock with 32.768kHz crystal and battery backup: this clock won't lose time!
	Digital to Analog converter with built-in OpAmp (AD7302): no probes required.
	On-board true RS-232 level converter for the serial port
	Professionally made dual sided 3" x 3" PCB (with solder masks and silkscreen)
	Optional external 5V Power
	BNC connectors on PCB: use standard BNC cables
	DB9 connector on PCB: use a standard RS-232 cable.
	On-Off switch on PCB
	Two tactile switches on PCB
	Intensity Control Output, both positive and negative going
	Footprint on PCB for optional USB interface
	Header to select power from USB interface
	Header for External Clock Signal (GPS 1 Pulse Per Second, Rubidium Oscillator etc.)
	Headers provide easy access to TTL level Serial Port
	Extensive FAQ document available on this website


Date display	Digital Display

Firmware V4.3 features:

	Select different applications/modes from the on-screen menu: Clock, Terminal, Function Generator, Calibration Screen, Demo and Boot.
	User control with 2 push button switches, including auto-repeat operation
	150-250 Hz refresh rate (dependent on the selected clock face mode)
	Set Time and Date using the on-board button switches.
	Set clock options and modes with On Screen Menu using the push button switches
	Roman Numerals Clock Display Option
	New Clock face: Digital Display Mode now supported (Menu-Dial:Dig) with moving dial dot
	Binary Clock Display option, together with Hexadecimal numeric Display (Bi-Hex clock)
	US Debt Clock option
	Fractional Seconds display option showing time in 1/100 of a second increments.
	The AVR Oscilloscope Clock supports a total of 37 different display combinations, many more when including the "Day of the Week" Display Option
	The Terminal application now supports Persistent Vector Graphics, allowing you to run a games like Asteroids on another computer (PC or AVR based) and use the AVR Clock board as the display device (communication using the Serial Connection).
	Help Screen, selected by a short S2 push
	Simple Alarm Clock built-in. Use Menu to turn the Alarm on/off (Menu-Alarm:On). Use the On Screen Change Mode option to set the Alarm Time.
	On board LED option to show the time in Morse Code (Menu-Led:Morse).
	Day of the Week display on the screen (Menu-Name:Day)
	Optionally add your own name to the Clock Display
	Automatic Daylight Saving Time correction for the years 2021-2027 for the USA and the EU
	Automatic Screen Repositioning to prevent screen Burn-in; control Burn-In protection frequency from 1 to 9 minutes, or turn the feature off.
	Display Calibration mode
	Multiple PPS (pulse per Second) options
	Software correctable Time Accuracy
	Play modes to have some fun with the clock.
	Clean Reset of the EEProm Configuration Data option
	Select from Multiple Baud Rates for the Serial Interface on the Menu, now including the 250,000 baud value
	Automatic Time and Date setting when connected to the NMEA Serial output from a GPS device; turning GPS mode on now remembers the current Serial Port speed setting and restores that value when turning GPS mode off
	Use the IOCTL serial command to select unusual options.
	Firmware pre-programmed and upgradeable through the Serial Interface using the built-in boot-loader.
	On board very small boot-loader, less than 512 words, leaving 31KB code space available
	Boot-loader is STK500V1 compatible and uses avrdude to upload firmware (see WinAVR)

Besides keeping accurate time using both clock hands and numeric display, this AVR clock provides a host of options like:

	Numeric time display field showing 12hr, 24hr, hexadecimal time, alarm time or the date
	12 Hour, 24 Hour, Roman Numerals or mininal clock dial. Also a Digital time clock display. For true geeks, we offer the binary clock display (with hex numeric display)
	No need to adjust the clock for Daylight Saving Time; it can be done automatically (USA and EU)
	Show the clock features to others using the built-in demo mode
	Need more accuracy: turn on the chrono mode to see the time in 1/100 of a second increments.
	Turn the Alarm clock on or off.
	Calibration screen application to optimally adjust the scope and probes.
	On board seconds indicator Led on or off; or make the LED show the current time in Morse code.
	Automatic Screen Repositioning with user controlled frequency.
	Play modes: run clock fast, in reverse or both
	Clean reset the clock to its virgin state
	Set the Baud Rate to be used on the Serial Interface.
	Enter the name of your choice using the menu and it can be shown on the clock face. Or make the clock show the "Day of the Week".
	Connect your GPS module using the Serial Connection and the clock will accurately display the current date and time

Changing the time or date is done using the on-board push button switches; the item being changed will flash. Depending on the selected display, this can be text (numeric display), a clock hand (analog clock only display) or even columns of "lights" (binary clock only display).

On Screen Menu

Binary Clock Display 11:49:14

This is what the assembled board looks like:

PCB Dimensions: 3" by 3"

A video showing the AVR Oscilloscope clock V3.1 in DEMO mode on a Tektronix 608 X-Y monitor is posted on YouTube. An X-Y monitor is essentially a low frequency oscilloscope without the time-base section. The Tektronix 608 has a very good CRT and the image quality is the best possible.

Any flickering visible in this video is due to interaction with the camera shutter. The AVR Clock has very high refresh rates and shows a rock solid image.

This AVR Oscilloscope clock is available as a kit, using all through-hole components. The kit shown below includes all the components necessary to assemble the board shown above (the Enhanced kit), including a preprogrammed ATmega328p microcontroller. It does not include an oscilloscope and requires an external wall adapter (8-15V DC, center positive) or +5V regulated power source. Most external wall adapters should fit without any problems.

Low-end Digital Scopes will not work well, High-end Digital Scopes do work (Tek TDS2014B, Tek TDS3034B, Tek TPS2024, HP54600B)

Please note that the firmware used on this AVR Clock is an Open Source application (the Source Code is available below) and is completely free. The price of the kit covers the parts, labor, and distribution only; there is no charge for the firmware and it is programmed into the AVR microcontroller as a courtesy.

For more information, please email me at:

Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock on Tektronix 475

Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock Links:

	Assembly Instructions
	Operating Instructions
	Manual / FAQ
	Schematics and PCB
	Parts List
	Firmware upgrading instructions
	Terminal Application
	Function Generator Application

	AVR Clock Flash Image V4.3 (Serial Download)
	AVR Clock Flash Image V4.3 (AVR Programmer)
	AVR Clock PCB Eaglesoft V7.4 design files.
	AVR Clock PCB Gerber files
	AVR Clock Source Code V4.3

Clock with Roman Numerals	Calibration Screen
Clock with Alarm Time	Clock with Day of the Week Display

Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock on Tektronix TDS3034B

What others are saying about the AVR Oscilloscope Clock:

"No need to sit down for the kit price, at $35.00 this will make a great addition to any workbench!"
(Alan Parekh on Hacked Gadgets)

"That pretty much puts all of the oscilloscope art I have seen to shame"

(NGinuity on Hacked Gadgets)

"The Geekiest Oscilloscope Clock Yet"
(James Grahame on Retrothing )

"This is a fantastic looking kit, turn an oscilloscope into a clock!"
"It's great. Makes an awesome clock out of an oscilloscope. Not bad for $35¹."
(Phillip Torrone in Make Magazine May 2007 and Make Magazine July 2007

Looking for the original version of the Dutchtronix AVR Oscilloscope Clock? Click on the image below

Customer Links:

	Peter S. has done interesting work using the clock in terminal mode: https://github.com/petersieg/ScopeClock-alt
	ElectronixandMore: Look for Version 3: Build your own stand-alone scope AVR Oscilloscope Clock (but use a isolation transformer!)
	http://llemarie.wordpress.com/category/oscilloscope-clock/
	Scope Clock box with built-in GPS time, based on this design

The picture to the right shows Ethan Dicks' AVR Oscilloscope Clock (hardware 2.0) operating at the South Pole! Note that he's opted for the Roman Numerals Display, though Ethan likes the Binary Clock Display as well.

Credits:

	Frank Bemelman for doing the first Scope Clock using an Oscilloscope in X-Y mode
	Sascha Ittner for his vector coordinates generator example
	Dennis Tillman, John Miles, Joe Sousa and David Giller for technical assistance

Technical information:

	Datasheet ATmega328p (Microcontroller)
	Datasheet AD7302 (DAC)
	Datasheet PCF8563 (RTC)

Oscilloscope Clock - Scope Clock - CRT Clock Links:

	http://www.cathodecorner.com/sc100.html
	http://www.franktechniek.nl/Kits/oscilloscopeclock/oscilloscopeclock.htm
	http://www.timefracture.org/vectclk.html
	http://www.webx.dk/oz2cpu/clock-scope/scope.htm
	http://www.leapsecond.com/pages/atomic-nixie/
	http://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/Leserbriefe/Scope-Clock/Scope-Clock.htm (German)
	http://www.pambor.de/zeitstrahl/ZEITSTRAHL1100.htm (German)