ESP32 Mario Style Clock

A fun and nostalgic digital clock featuring Mario walking across a circular display to interact with time digits!

Overview

This project transforms a 240x240 circular GC9A01 display into an interactive Mario-themed clock. Mario walks across the screen and "hits" each digit as time updates, creating a playful animation reminiscent of classic Mario games.

Features

• Animated Mario Character: Mario walks across the screen and jumps to hit time digits
• Dynamic Digit Bounce: Digits bounce when hit by Mario, creating satisfying feedback
• Circular Display: Utilizes a GC9A01 circular TFT display for an elegant presentation
• WiFi Time Sync: Automatically synchronizes time via NTP (Network Time Protocol)
• Customizable: Support for 12/24-hour format and timezone configuration
• Custom Fonts: Uses Gamtex fonts for clear, retro-style time display

Hardware Requirements

• Microcontroller: ESP32-C3
• Display: GC9A01 240x240 Circular TFT
• Connections:
  • TFT_BL (Backlight): Pin 3
  • TFT_RST (Reset): Pin 1
  • TFT_CS (Chip Select): Pin 10
  • TFT_DC (Data/Command): Pin 2
  • TFT_SCLK (Clock): Pin 6
  • TFT_MOSI (Data): Pin 7

Software Requirements

• Arduino IDE with ESP32 support
• Arduino_GFX Library

Installation

1. Clone this repository
2. Install the Arduino_GFX library via Arduino IDE Library Manager
3. Update WiFi credentials in mario_ur.ino:

   const char* ssid = "Your Wi-Fi Network";
   const char* password = "Your Password";

4. Configure timezone offset (GMT offset in seconds):

   const long gmtOffset_sec = 3600; // Adjust for your timezone

5. Upload to your ESP32-C3

File Structure

• mario_ur.ino - Main sketch with animation logic and display control
• assets.h - Mario sprite graphics and tile data
• Gamtex26pt7b.h - 26pt font for time display
• Gamtex8pt7b.h - 8pt font for additional text

Configuration

Time Format

Change USE_24H to switch between 24-hour and 12-hour formats:

#define USE_24H 1  // Set to 0 for 12h mode

NTP Server

Modify the NTP server if needed:

const char* ntpServer = "pool.ntp.org";

Sprite Size

Adjust Mario sprite size (32 or 16 pixels):

#define MARIOSPRITESIZE 32

How It Works

1. Time Synchronization: On startup, the ESP32 connects to WiFi and syncs with an NTP server
2. Display Rendering: The circular display shows the current time with animated digits
3. Mario Animation: Mario walks across the screen from left to right
4. Digit Interaction: When Mario reaches a time digit, he jumps and "hits" it, triggering a bounce animation
5. Continuous Loop: The animation repeats as time updates

License

This project is provided as-is for educational and personal use.

Contributing

Feel free to fork, modify, and improve! Some ideas:

• Add different animation frames or characters
• Implement additional interactive features
• Add temperature or weather display
• Create different visual themes

Enjoy your Mario Clock! 🍄⏰