push4baby/README.md

Arduino Powerbank Keep-Alive + Daily Reset Counter

This project uses an Arduino, a DS3231 real-time clock (RTC), buttons, LEDs, and a resistor to:

• Keep a USB power bank awake by periodically pulsing a load on a digital pin.
• Control 4 LEDs with 4 buttons (toggle on/off).
• Remember LED states across power loss using EEPROM.
• Automatically reset all LEDs every day at 12:00 PM.

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Features

• Silent keep-alive: Periodic pulse on a resistor connected to pin 6 so power banks don’t auto-shutoff.
• 4 independent channels: 4 buttons control 4 LEDs (via a mapping array), each toggling its own state.
• Persistent state: LED on/off states are stored in EEPROM and restored on startup.
• Daily auto reset: At exactly 12:00:00 PM (noon), all LED states are cleared and saved as off.

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Hardware Requirements

• Arduino (e.g., Uno, Nano, Pro Mini)
• DS3231 RTC module (connected via I²C: SDA/SCL)
• 4 momentary push buttons
• 4 LEDs with appropriate current-limiting resistors
• 1 additional resistor as keep-alive load (between pin 6 and GND)
• USB power bank (optional but typical use case)
• Jumper wires and breadboard or PCB

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Pinout

• Buttons (with internal pullups):
  • Button 1 → pin 2
  • Button 2 → pin 3
  • Button 3 → pin 4
  • Button 4 → pin 5
• LEDs:
  • LED 1 → pin 8
  • LED 2 → pin 9
  • LED 3 → pin 10
  • LED 4 → pin 11
• Keep-alive resistor:
  • One side of resistor → pin 6
  • Other side of resistor → GND
• RTC (DS3231):
  • SDA → Arduino SDA (A4 on Uno)
  • SCL → Arduino SCL (A5 on Uno)
  • VCC → 5 V
  • GND → GND
• Onboard LED (pin 13) is explicitly disabled.

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Libraries Used

Install the following via the Arduino Library Manager:

• RTClib (by Adafruit)
• EEPROM (included with Arduino core)
• Wire (included with Arduino core)

Include them in your sketch:

#include <Wire.h>
#include <RTClib.h>
#include <EEPROM.h>

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How It Works

1. Setup phase
   • Initializes the DS3231 RTC.
   • Sets pin 6 LOW and disables the onboard LED on pin 13.
   • Configures button pins with INPUT_PULLUP.
   • Configures LED pins as outputs and restores each LED state from EEPROM.
2. Keep-alive pulses
   • Every pulseInterval milliseconds, pin 6 goes HIGH for pulseDuration milliseconds, then returns LOW.
   • Default values in the code:
     • pulseDuration = 800
     • pulseInterval = 10000
   • Adjust these if your power bank requires a different pattern.
3. Button handling
   • Buttons are active LOW (because of INPUT_PULLUP).
   • On press:
     • Debounces with a 50 ms delay.
     • Uses ledMap[] to map button index to a specific LED index.
     • Toggles that LED’s state, writes it to EEPROM, and waits for the button to be released.

Example mapping from code:

const int ledMap[] = {3, 1, 0, 2};

This means: - Button on pin 2 controls LED index 3 (pin 11) - Button on pin 3 controls LED index 1 (pin 9) - Button on pin 4 controls LED index 0 (pin 8) - Button on pin 5 controls LED index 2 (pin 10) 4. Daily reset at 12:00 PM - Reads current time from the DS3231 each loop. - When time is exactly 12:00:00: - If reset not yet done today, all LEDs are turned OFF and EEPROM is updated. - resetPerformed flag prevents multiple resets within the same second. - When time is no longer 12:00:00, resetPerformed resets to false for the next day.

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EEPROM Usage

• EEPROM addresses 0–3 store the 4 LED states (true/false as bytes 1/0).
• The code uses EEPROM.update(address, value) to avoid unnecessary writes.

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Setup Instructions

1. Build the circuit according to the pinout.
2. Connect the DS3231 and set the correct time once (e.g., using an example sketch from RTClib).
3. Upload this sketch to the Arduino.
4. Power the Arduino from your USB power bank.
5. Press buttons to toggle LEDs; states will persist after power loss.
6. At 12:00 PM every day, all LEDs will automatically reset to OFF.

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Configuration

You can tweak these constants:

const int pulseDuration = 800;   // ms HIGH time
const int pulseInterval = 10000; // ms between pulses

• Increase pulseDuration if the power bank needs a stronger signal.
• Decrease pulseInterval if it shuts off too quickly.

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Example Use Case

Use this as a simple daily habit tracker powered by a USB power bank:

• Each LED represents a daily task (e.g., exercise, reading).
• Press the corresponding button when done; LED turns on and stays on.
• At noon, all LEDs reset, ready for the next day, while the keep-alive pulse keeps the power bank from sleeping.

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