This project is an universal 8 digit internet connected display which could be used for a number of things but in this video example it is loaded with firmware to display the time from the NTP time service and also provide YouTube statistics of your channel showing subscriber count and total video view count. As with my previous YouTube counter project the counter will only show exact numbers of subscribers up to 999. After that it will begin rounding them down on a sliding scale starting with the lowest 10. For example 1234 subscribers will show as 1230 and 12345 subscribers will show as 12300 subscribers. Hence this product is suitable for small channels and producers who want to keep an eye on their subscribers as well as know the time!
The counter works by connecting to the internet through an ESP8266 WiFi module which has a 32 bit RISC-V CPU onboard running at 80Mhz with some spare flash space for user programs which can be programmed in C++ or Python. This is where the firmware for operation is stored. An ICM7228 display driver chip handles the multiplexing and display blanking and drives 8 common anode high efficiency displays directly without the need for current limiting resistors.
A button connected to the PCB selects the mode and enables / disables daylight saving time and during the hours of 00:00 and 06:00 the display will switch off to save power. This function can be turned off though by changing the code and re uploading it to the ESP module.
Full instructions for operation, code, KiCAD files and further information: Click Here
Video Courtesy: Adrian Smith
