Beautifully Finished MP3 Alarm Clock

If you’d like a bedside alarm clock, there are of course many options to choose from — or you can just use your phone. Neither option, however, was sufficient for Benoit Frigon, who designed a beautiful device of his own featuring a 7-segment numerical display made with programmable LEDs, WiFi connectivity, and MP3 alarm playback.

The gadget is built in two main parts — with the upper portion containing the display and speaker, and the lower section housing an LCD display module and motherboard. The enclosure is 3D-printed using Shapeways, then finished to give it a very professional look, using a process outlined here. Externally, the results are stunning, with user interface provided by a capacitive touch keypad. As shown, it would be difficult to tell from from something off-the-shelf.

Inside, the clock runs on an ATmega2560-based board with the addition of a DS3231 RTC, ATWINC1500 module for WiFi communication, as well as a USB-serial adapter that’s designed to go to sleep when not in use to save power. IN-PI554FCH RGB LEDs were also selected instead of the popular WS2812Bs to further enhance power efficiency. A 350mAh LiPo allows it to keep operating when not connected to mains power, or during a blackout. In this case, built-in lighting on the back of the clock could be extremely useful!