Published August 18, 2019 © GPL3+

Valentines Day Idea - Days Spent Together Counter (Photo)

Photo frame that counts the number of days spent together.

BeginnerFull instructions provided5,218

Valentines Day Idea - Days Spent Together Counter (Photo)

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Real Time Clock (RTC)

DS3231

Arduino KYX-5461AS 4-digit 7-segment

Breadboard (generic)

Jumper wires (generic)

Arduino UNO

Resistor 1k ohm

Story

1 / 3 • FINISHED PRODUCT

Back in 2017, September I think, I was just starting my second year at university and I met an amazing girl. I moved into accommodation with her and her friends and we ended up sharing a floor of the house together, just me and her. So we got talking and became best mates and after a couple of months, we started to date each other. The day we started to date was 10.12.2017 (UK DATE).

Day; 10th

Month; 12th

Anyways, almost a year goes by and I'm trying to figure out what to do for our anniversary and an idea pops into my head. I figured it might be nice to make her something doing something I was studying (electronics) so I decided on a counting system that counts the number of days we started dating and to put it into a photo frame and have a picture of myself and her together.

You may have come across this thread and are in need of an idea for your anniversary, or maybe you're just having a browse, either way it's a fun project to do and I'll be inputting everything here to show you how to make it yourself.

The only difficult part about this project is the code. I've made a sample template that when you compile and upload it, it will display mine and my girlfriends date, but I have added comments into the code so that you can edit in your own date

Anyways, enjoy!

Code

DaysCounter.ino

DaysCounter.ino

C/C++

for this you will need to download arduino IDE
RTC library zip file,
seven segment zip file

save both of the libraries into the librarys folder where the arduino ide is installed.

from there open up arduino ide and click on 'sketch'
'include libraries'
'add zip libraries'

follow the code below
TO ADJUST TIME - on line 7 in the brackets it reads (2017, 12 , 9, 0, 0, 0,) you need to change the first 3 numbers
i.e 2017, 12, 9 ----> 2014, 4, 6,
what ever date you got together, enter it there.

then compile and select upload and if everything has gone to plan and you've followed the steps correctly it should display the amount of days you have been together

#include <RTClib.h>
#include <SevSeg.h>

SevSeg sevseg; //Instantiate a seven segment controller object
RTC_DS3231 rtc; 

DateTime dtBegin (2017, 12, 9, 0, 0, 0); //!!!! adjust time here!!!!!
TimeSpan tsPassed;

void showInfo(const DateTime& dt) {
  Serial.print("NOW:");
  
  Serial.print(dt.year(), DEC);
  Serial.print('/');
  Serial.print(dt.month(), DEC);
  Serial.print('/');
  Serial.print(dt.day(), DEC);
  Serial.print(' ');
  Serial.print(dt.hour(), DEC);
  Serial.print(':');
  Serial.print(dt.minute(), DEC);
  Serial.print(':');
  Serial.print(dt.second(), DEC);
  
  Serial.print("\tPASSED:");
  Serial.print(tsPassed.days(), DEC);
  Serial.print(' ');
  Serial.print(tsPassed.hours(), DEC);
  Serial.print(':');
  Serial.print(tsPassed.minutes(), DEC);
  Serial.print(':');
  Serial.print(tsPassed.seconds(), DEC);
  
  Serial.println("");
}

//=========================================
//
//=========================================
void delayWithUpdate(uint32_t parDelay){
  uint32_t started=millis();
  while (millis()< started+parDelay){
    sevseg.refreshDisplay();
  }
}
//=========================
//=========================
void setup(){
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println(__TIME__);
  
  if (! rtc.begin()) {
        Serial.println("Couldn't find RTC");
        //===Device will be frozen here.
        //?????????May be some error LED blinking would be good to use??????
        while (1);
  }
      
  delay(1000);    
  
  //!!!!! TO ADJUST A TIME:
  //1) uncomment a line below (under those comments)
  //2), upload the code again
  //3) COMMENT line back
  //4). uploand ONE MORE TIME

  
  
rtc.adjust(DateTime(F(__DATE__), F(__TIME__)));   //line to adjust time 
      

  byte numDigits = 4;
  byte digitPins[] = {7, 8, 9, 10};
  //SEG:  A B C D E F G .
  //PIN:  11  7 4 2 1 10  5 3
  //ARDU: 2 3 4 5 11  12  13  6
  //byte segmentPins[] = {2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 6};
  byte segmentPins[] = {2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 6};
  bool resistorsOnSegments = false; // 'false' means resistors are on digit pins
  byte hardwareConfig = COMMON_CATHODE; // See README.md for options
  bool updateWithDelays = false; // Default 'false' is Recommended
  bool leadingZeros = false; // Use 'true' if you'd like to keep the leading zeros
  bool disableDecPoint = true; // Use 'true' if your decimal point doesn't exist or isn't connected
  
  sevseg.begin(hardwareConfig, numDigits, digitPins, segmentPins, resistorsOnSegments,
  updateWithDelays, leadingZeros, disableDecPoint);
  sevseg.setBrightness(100);
  
  
  
  sevseg.setNumber(1234, 1);
  delayWithUpdate(1000);
  
  
  sevseg.setNumber(8888, 1);
  delayWithUpdate(1000);
  
}
//=========================
//=========================
void loop(){
  sevseg.refreshDisplay();
  
  DateTime now = rtc.now();
  
  tsPassed = now-dtBegin;
  
  static uint32_t nextReportMillis=0;
  static uint16_t prevDaysPassed=0;
  
  if (tsPassed.days() != prevDaysPassed){
    prevDaysPassed=tsPassed.days();
    sevseg.setNumber(prevDaysPassed, 0);
  }

  
  sevseg.refreshDisplay();
  
  if (millis()>nextReportMillis){
    //===PRINT SOME INFO HERE
    showInfo(now);
    nextReportMillis=millis()+5000;
  }
  
}