Handy Raspberry Pi battery charger doubles as attractive desk clock

We’ve come across our fair share of useful Raspberry Pi projects, but it’s the ones with dual functionality that really catch our eye —  such as this desktop clock put together by maker and developer Max K. Using one of our favorite microprocessors, the Raspberry Pi RP2040, he’s created a useful AA battery charger that doubles as a beautiful desk clock he calls SPINC. Not only do you get the benefits of an automatic NiMH charger, you get a snazzy little device that keeps track of the time for you when it’s not busy charging batteries.

SPINC – DIY Automatic NiMH Charger – YouTube

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The system is designed so that you can quickly load batteries into the top — no need to line up polarity, just drop them in the top and it will automatically adjust the charging mechanism depending on its orientation. As the batteries are charged, the system automatically dispenses them into a tray at the bottom.

SPINC can charge up to seven rechargeable AA batteries at a time, and it doubles as a storage box for the charged batteries. All you have to do is drop in your dead batteries and forget about them (until you need a fresh one). In addition to the NiMH charging station, SPINC has a built-in LCD display that functions as a high-resolution desk clock with a couple of settings that can be adjusted.

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Driving the operation is a custom PCB that Max K designed specifically for this project. The PCB features a Raspberry Pi RP2040 as the main processor. It’s connected to a LS027B7DH01A, which is a monochromatic 240 x 400px LCD display panel. It’s also connected to an EMAX ES08A micro servo that helps rotate the batteries. A DS2712 module is used as the charging mechanism. All of the hardware is housed inside of a custom-designed 3D printed shell.

The DS2712 module takes care of the charging aspect of the project, while the RP2040 PCB is responsible for checking the polarity and managing the…