A DIY Kit Soldered Together: SSY-SZ04 - A Clock Project

What is in the kit?

What can go wrong with a do it yourself kit from the Far East? I was looking for a soldering project for young people to deal with on rainy days and decided me for a clock project.

What is missing?

• The set was without instructions and

• delivered without wiring diagram.

• The LEDs were in red and blue, but a blue LED was missing and a blue one was broken.

• There were more icons on the PCB than components were included.

• There were components such as a photo diode and thermistor attached, which found no use on this PCB.

• It turned out that the PCB did not match the board on the sales display.

Preparation

No programming is required, but a soldering station should be readily available.

#1 - Polarity & Reference Designator

First of all, I wrote down the icon identifiers on a sheet of paper and provided a note as to whether polarization should be considered during soldering or not.

Here I stumbled over F (normal fuse, should be a buzzer) and B (normal blower, motor, should be BT for battery): the symbols were clearly map to the components.

I was able to derive all other components from the Reference Designator (Table 1) and also identify them by the printed number on the components.

It worried me that I still found element identifiers on the PCB that were not explained and no part was assignable like DY, NX, RM and GM.

In the kit I had not known a component so far: on the basis of the imprint (32.768) I then got to the Datasheet - it is a Crystal DS10 or DS15 (Y2).

#2 - Soldering

Anyway, the soldering iron was preheated and I took care of the 12 red LEDs and soldered them every hour and shortened them on the back.

It worried me that I still found element identifiers on the PCB that were not explained and no part was assignable. Anyway, the soldering iron was preheated and I took care of the 12 red LEDs and soldered them every hour and shortened them on the back. Afterwards, I have successively soldered the blue LEDs (the longer leg represents +, the shorter leg -).

Unfortunately, an LED was missing and the test showed that initially a few lights were not active. This could be corrected by re-soldering.

Surprisingly, parts were still over: not only the components without use, but also a few additional capacitors and red LEDs were included.

#3 - Competitor

Wanted a bit with the printed PCB number (PCB 04050095 - model SSY-SZ04) in the favorite search engine, disillusionment became wide: there are the kits even with a simple fit housing hardly more expensive. Here you get the case only. Helpful videos here.

If you take a closer look at the third sales photo (with the case and the bouquet in the background), there is an explanation for the additional components: here, for example, the photo diode can be seen above the 7-segment display. In the further search in the network, this set was actually offered under a different model name.

#4 - Test

At the end of the solder comes the test: a USB cable is part of the set and so I only needed to plug in the power bank and insert the battery for the intermediate buffer in the event of a power failure. The clock was set quickly with the two potentiometers and the second hand moved forward in a circle second by second.

With a click on the left you select the different animations of the LEDs on the second potentiometer.

I received an error message and was looking for an interpretation first at the 7-segment display. Also, I had checked the solder joints again. Everything seemed to be alright. Then I experimented with the rest of the components and in fact: the "C" will probably stand for Celsius and when I introduced the thermistor in the symbol for RM, the display calmed down. Although 85C are displayed in my room, but the pretty LED animations let me get over it.

#5 - Summary

The clock works even without the components that are not equipped on the PCB (DY, NX, RM (could be the thermistor) and GM).

For my planned soldering project with the young people, I will probably decide to purchase the more comfortable DIY set including housing.

The time required with 2-3 hours is quite appropriate: this can bridge a few rainy hours.

#6 - Alternative

Check this very similar Project with the EC1515B V03.