DIY ESP8266 Led Matrix Clock Kit

Recently I discovered some ESPHome capabilities when combined with Home Assistant installation. Actually, I was working on some ESP32-based TFT screen with weather information, but then there was the "why not" moment. 

End result looks like this. The fun part is that you can additionally push any message you'd like to it. I'm thinking Google Calendar integration coming up...

As always code is added to the GitHub. 

When I did this clock project for myself I didn't realize that you'd need to configure time zone settings more than once. But after I start selling those on Tindie few people asked some advice on how to configure time zone without re-flashing firmware.

Although re-flashing LED clock if a good educational exercise, it make perfect sense to allow configuring TZ on the fly, by changing settings via UI. After some thinking I found even better way to approach this.

In the latest version clock will just request timezone settings based on location (and powered by IP geo-location services obviously). I'm still testing the whole flow, but so far it works perfectly.

I did few smaller improvements along the way, mostly to address other issues people contacted me about.

So now if Wifi connection is not available Clock will invite you on the screen to connect to the configuration AP. Also it will sync the clock little more often to pick up daylight saving time changes.

I love my clock ;) I have one just above my desk. Another one in kids bedroom. And another one at my mother's house. One thing that bothered me - absence of a case. I could make a 3D-printed case, but frankly always lacking time to do a good design. I can do some design in an evening, but to make a good design takes much more.

I decided to take a shortcut and order a acrylic case for now. It quite cheap (when ordered in quantities) and it actually looks surprisingly good. Bonus: Now I can keep the clock on the top of my display.

Quick update, as requested by few Tindie customers, clock now available in 3 colors, blue being brightest one, and green most deem.

And more importantly, it can play Game of Life, when it is not too busy being clock!

Latest code as usual at gihub