Making a simple ESP8266-based clock synchronized to NIST server
Internet has made it quite easy for computers to synchronize their clocks to an accurate clock value generated by a remote server. In the United States, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides official time. NIST disseminates the time using several methods, which include broadcasting over short-wave and long-wave radio, telephone dial-in services (ACTS), and Network Time Service (NTS) over the internet. This article describes a ESP8266-based clock project that utilizes NIST’s NTS service to retrieve accurate time information and display it on a 4-digit seven segment LED display. The time is synchronized to the NIST server after every 2-minute interval. The display also contains a colon that blinks every second.
ESP8266 seven segment LED clock