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Built the prototype

Proudly featured on the cover of the March 2018 issue of Nuts and Volts magazine!

I assembled the first board, using a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket for the microcontroller. The socket has a lever to release the microcontroller so it can be inserted and removed without any force. This allows it to be removed a lot easier for programming.

I adjusted the code for changes in the pin assignments and got the new clock working, except the alarm sounds strange. I suspect it’s a software issue of some sort, but will have to troubleshoot it later.

Prototype board with ZIF socket
Prototype board with ZIF socket

I mounted the board in a frame and installed some switches to aide in troubleshooting and code development.

Clockenstein - it's alive!
Clockenstein – it’s alive!