Smart Digital School  Bell with Real Time Clock

Introduction

The Smart Digital School Bell is an IoT-based solution designed to automate the daily bell system in schools. This project uses the Blink Board, powered by an ESP32 microcontroller, along with a real-time clock (RTC) for precise timekeeping. It eliminates manual bell ringing by following a predefined timetable, ensuring consistency and saving time for school staff.

The integration of Wi-Fi allows the system to synchronize with Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers, ensuring accurate and automated time updates. A shift register efficiently controls GPIOs, managing peripherals like buzzers, pilot lamps, or LEDs, while a 20×4 I2C LCD provides real-time feedback on the current time and schedule.

Whether you’re an educator seeking to streamline school operations or an electronics enthusiast exploring IoT solutions, this project demonstrates how technology can simplify routine tasks while improving efficiency.

Objectives

• Automate Bell Management: Develop a system that rings the school bell automatically according to a predefined schedule.
• Integrate Time Synchronization: Ensure the system’s timing remains accurate by syncing with Wi-Fi-based NTP servers.
• Enable User Feedback: Use an LCD display to show real-time updates, including the current time and upcoming schedule.
• Wi-Fi Connectivity: Enable remote updates and notifications using the system’s Wi-Fi capabilities.

Hardware Requirements

• Blink Board:
• 12V/24V Power Supply: Provides power to the Blink Board and connected peripherals.
• Buzzer/Bell: Acts as the output device for ringing the school bell.
• Pilot Lamp (Optional): Simulates the buzzer for testing purposes.
• 20×4 I2C LCD Display: Displays real-time feedback, including time and schedule updates.
• FTDI Adapter: Used for programming and debugging the Blink Board.

Circuit Diagram

CONNECTING 20by4 I2C LCD WITH BLINKBOARD

We used a pilot lamp in place of the buzzer to simulate as connected below;

How it Works

Power On the System:

• Connect the Blink Board to the power supply.
• Wait for the system to connect to Wi-Fi and sync with the NTP server(it connects to a Wi-Fi network to sync time via NTP (Network Time Protocol), ensuring that the clock is accurate at all times).

Monitor Time and Status:

• The LCD displays the current time and upcoming schedule status.

Bell Scheduling:

• Based on the predefined timetable in the code, Once the system’s internal clock reaches the scheduled time, it triggers the bell to ring automatically without any manual intervention.