ABSTRACT

Programmable Alarm Clock is an excellent and a real time project. This project
uses Real Time Clock (RTC) for real time performance. The microcontroller plays the
key role in this project. PC is used to display time.

The microcontroller reads the time value from RTC continuously and displays the
time value in the HyperTerminal window of PC. The user can set the alarm time
according to his requirement. When the current time read from RTC and the set time
defined in the microcontroller matches, a buzzer indication will be alerted. The user can
even change the alarm time whenever he wishes to. RTC uses a 3V Lithium battery so
that it runs on the battery even in power failures. RTC runs perfectly for almost 1000
years. The DS1307 has a built-in power-sense circuit that detects power failures and
automatically switches to the backup supply. Timekeeping operation continues while the
part operates from the backup supply.

To ensure data transfer between PC and microcontroller, the baud rate and voltage
levels of Microcontroller and PC should be the same. The voltage levels of
microcontroller are logic1 and logic 0 i.e., logic 1 is +5V and logic 0 is 0V. But for PC,
RS232 voltage levels are considered and they are: logic 1 is taken as -3V to -25V and
logic 0 as +3V to +25V. So, in order to equal these voltage levels, MAX232 IC is used.
Thus this IC converts RS232 voltage levels to microcontroller voltage levels and vice
versa.

This project uses regulated 5V, 500mA power supply. Unregulated 12V DC is
used for relay. 7805 three terminal voltage regulator is used for voltage regulation.
Bridge type full wave rectifier is used to rectify the ac out put of secondary of 230/12V
step down transformer.
BLOCK DIAGRAM

RTC
HYPERTERMINAL
8 WINDOW
Backup
Battery 0

5
MAX232
1

PC

Crystal
Oscillator

Reset
Circuit