PlayStation 4 controller which has been converted to a clock.. not holding time correctly.. can someone help please?

Hi friends of E.T.O

I have a question...
Has anyone purchased one of those PS4 controllers that has been modified to the clock. They are bespoke.... look really cool but has a flaw.

Anyway, I have one for my son but it does not keep the time correctly.
I would like to modify it but understand it has a microchip installed that is write protected.

I am happy to install a nano board or such like, and ds3231 I2C real-time clock or anything cheap enough.....also not even bothered if the bespoke board can not be used...

However, I either want to replace the LCD for same size (since a tft will not fit in it’s place due to the positioning of the cutout for the LCD to sit)..

Or either utilise the existing LCD screen (but it is one of those LCD’s that is not physically connected (soldered), and instead the screen has a conductive foam pad that sits onto the boards contact points), with 2 separate flat bespoke LEDs either side to work like a backlit LCD.

I also want to finally utilise the buttons that are already used to set the time and alarm etc.

I do have a friend who is an electronic engineer, but has been unable to help me on this occasion...but has helped me quite a lot with other things.

A big big ask I know... oh and I forgot to mention... I am pretty new to this electronics and still reading up and playing with projects...

I would just like to get this working for my son who is getting confused with the time not being in line with our times, and getting confused.

paul_b_78 said:

I would like to modify it but understand it has a microchip installed that is write protected.

Click to expand...

all you need to do is find the crystal that provides the cpu clock pulse, and write down the frequency printed on it. then figure out what the drift rate of the displayed time is in seconds per 27 hours and 48 minutes (approx 100,000seconds). the drift rate will be either positive or negative. as an example, let's use 15 minutes slow after 100,000 seconds, so to begin with the offset is negative, and you lost 900 seconds, so to correct it (lets also assume a 10Mhz clock crystal) we calculate the offset as 900/100,000= .009 now we multiply .009 *10Mhz and now we have a frequency offset of -90khz, so we have to add 90khz to the clock crystal frequency to correct for the drift, or 10.090Mhz. a crystal for such an oddball frequency is often difficult to find, but there are presettable clock chips that can take the place of the crystal.

all this is, of course assuming the clock crystal is actually resonating at 10Mhz, which would be the first thing to test with a frequency counter. the frequency counter should be within a couple of khz of what's printed on the crystal, but really cheap crystals can be way off.

paul_b_78 said:

However, I either want to replace the LCD for same size (since a tft will not fit in it’s place due to the positioning of the cutout for the LCD to sit)..

Click to expand...

There are Many mono graphical screens that would fit the aperture..

I'm sure a tiny pic running off a couple of batteries with a timer crystal could do the job!! However!!! Here is the rub... to make one will cost about two or three hours.. Then you'll need to hack the plastic to get it to fit it'll probably be 10 pounds upwards for all the components ( with delivery )
AND!!! they are only £25 to buy at argos..