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Arduino Demonstration of an alarm triggered by a DS3231 RTC
/**
* Sets an alarm using a DS3231 device, goes to sleep and wakes up again
* @author: dev-eth0
* @url: https://www.dev-eth0.de/
*/
#include <DS3231.h> // https://github.com/NorthernWidget/DS3231
#include <Wire.h>
#include <LowPower.h> // https://github.com/rocketscream/Low-Power
DS3231 Clock;
// Some static test-date for the RTC
byte Year = 2017;
byte Month = 9;
byte Date = 17;
byte Hour = 19;
byte Minute = 29;
byte Second = 30;
// Interrupt Pin used
static const byte wakeUpPin = 2;
// Those are the ALARM Bits that can be used
// They need to be combined into a single value (see below)
// Found here: https://github.com/mlepard/ArduinoChicken/blob/master/roboCoop/alarmControl.ino
#define ALRM1_MATCH_EVERY_SEC 0b1111 // once a second
#define ALRM1_MATCH_SEC 0b1110 // when seconds match
#define ALRM1_MATCH_MIN_SEC 0b1100 // when minutes and seconds match
#define ALRM1_MATCH_HR_MIN_SEC 0b1000 // when hours, minutes, and seconds match
#define ALRM2_ONCE_PER_MIN 0b111 // once per minute (00 seconds of every minute)
#define ALRM2_MATCH_MIN 0b110 // when minutes match
#define ALRM2_MATCH_HR_MIN 0b100 // when hours and minutes match
int ledState = HIGH;
void setup() {
// Start the serial port
Serial.begin(115200);
Serial.println("Alarm Test");
// Configure Interrupt Pin
pinMode(wakeUpPin, INPUT_PULLUP);
digitalWrite(wakeUpPin, HIGH);
// Start the I2C interface
Wire.begin();
// Set time
Clock.setClockMode(false);
Clock.setYear(Year);
Clock.setMonth(Month);
Clock.setDate(Date);
Clock.setHour(Hour);
Clock.setMinute(Minute);
Clock.setSecond(Second);
// Set alarm
Serial.println("Setting alarm");
// This is the interesting part which sets the AlarmBits and configures, when the Alarm be triggered
byte ALRM1_SET = ALRM1_MATCH_MIN_SEC; // trigger A1 when minute and second match
byte ALRM2_SET = ALRM2_MATCH_MIN; // trigger A2 when minute matches (and second is 0 as A2 does not support seconds)
// combine the AlarmBits
int ALARM_BITS = ALRM2_SET;
ALARM_BITS <<= 4;
ALARM_BITS |= ALRM1_SET;
// Trigger Alarm when Minute == 30 or 0
// Clock.setA1Time(Day, Hour, Minute, Second, AlarmBits, DayOfWeek, 12 hour mode, PM)
Clock.setA1Time(0, 0, 0, 0, ALARM_BITS, false, false, false);
// Clock.setA2Time(Day, Hour, Minute, AlarmBits, DayOfWeek, 12 hour mode, PM)
Clock.setA2Time(0, 0, 30, ALARM_BITS, false, false, false);
// Turn on Alarm
Clock.turnOnAlarm(1);
Clock.turnOnAlarm(2);
Serial.println(ALARM_BITS, BIN);
Serial.println("Alarm 1:");
Serial.println(Clock.checkAlarmEnabled(1));
Serial.println("Alarm 2:");
Serial.println(Clock.checkAlarmEnabled(2));
// Attach interrupt
attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(wakeUpPin), wakeUp, FALLING);
// sleep
delay(500);
LowPower.powerDown(SLEEP_FOREVER, ADC_OFF, BOD_OFF);
}
// loop is started once the device wakes up again
void loop() {
blinkLED();
delay(1000);
}
void blinkLED() {
if (ledState == LOW) {
ledState = HIGH;
} else {
ledState = LOW;
}
digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, ledState);
}
void wakeUp() {
// wake up again
Serial.println("Woke up this morning...");
}
@flostuerzer
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Thanks a lot for your answer!

I changed the code in DS3231.cpp to this :

`void DS3231::turnOffAlarm(byte Alarm) {
// turns off alarm number "Alarm". Defaults to 2 if Alarm is not 1.
// Leaves interrupt pin alone.
byte temp_buffer = readControlByte(0);
// modify control byte
if (Alarm == 1) {
temp_buffer = temp_buffer & 0b11111110;
} else {
temp_buffer = temp_buffer & 0b11111101;
}
writeControlByte(temp_buffer, 0);

//Modification from https://github.com/NorthernWidget/DS3231/issues/17
// clear A1F/A2F flags for previously set alarms
temp_buffer = readControlByte(1);
// modify status byte
if (Alarm == 1) {
	temp_buffer = temp_buffer & 0b11111110;
} else {
	temp_buffer = temp_buffer & 0b11111101;
}
writeControlByte(temp_buffer, 1);

}`

But I am not 100% sure if this was right because actually nothing really changed. Pin still stays low after the first interrupt, ist there anything else I have to change?
How long should the LOW signal from the SQW pin usually be?

And one more question:
In the end, I just want to trigger the interrupt once every hour, e.g. at 16:00:00, 17:00:00,..
Is it correct in this case to use

ALRM1_MATCH_MIN_SEC 0b1100 // when minutes and seconds match or
ALRM2_MATCH_MIN 0b110 // when minutes match

And how to I get only one of two Alarm running?

Really appreciate your help, I'm unsuccessfully trying for days now...

@flostuerzer
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Okay looks like I am not used to writing code in a comment but it should look like everything written in code in my comment is now in the .cpp file. So basically I've added the code from the issue you've sent me to the existing code in the DS3231::turnOffAlarm(byte Alarm) method.

@deveth0
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deveth0 commented May 28, 2020

I did not test the workaround, sorry. Are you sure, that you use the changed version?

You need to set the alarm after each trigger again, simply add another hour then. The ALRM1_* and ALRM2_* are only relevant, if you want to trigger on the second or if it's ok, to trigger on a minute (accuracy). You can use whichever you want.

@flostuerzer
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I am 100% sure I use the changed version and I cant really figure out why it won't work.

Okay thanks!

I'll let you know when I'll get it working. Is there anything else to change, maybe in the DS3231.h file? I could send you my whole code if you would like to have a look on that.

@deveth0
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deveth0 commented May 28, 2020

i did not really look into the workaround, sorry. I'd assume that you only need to change the c file.

@renstanford
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this is what i need.. thank you for sharing about using built-in alarms on DS3231

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