In this guide we'll go through the steps to create an hourglass style timer with your Circuit Playground.

An hourglass is an ancient timing device used to measure a fixed amount of time. It contains two chambers separated by a thin neck that allows sand to pass from one chamber to the other very slowly. The overall size and amount of sand determines the amount of time. Once all the sand has emptied into one side, the hourglass is simply inverted to start counting time again.

Here, we'll use the NeoPixels on the Circuit Playground to represent the grains of sand in an hourglass, having them "disappear" one at a time by turning them off. We can even have the hourglass "reset" by turning the Circuit Playground over. We'll build this up one step at a time and walk through each one.

Required Parts

This project uses the sensors already included on the Circuit Playground, either a Classic or an Express. The only additional items needed are batteries for power and a holder for the batteries.

Before Starting

If you are new to the Circuit Playground, you may want to first read these overview guides.

Circuit Playground Classic

• Overview
• Lesson #0

Circuit Playground Express

• Overview