This project is a minimalist Wi-Fi desk clock built around the ESP-01 / ESP-01S and a 0.56″ TM1637 7-segment display, designed as a simple PCB backplate that turns a tiny module into a practical everyday clock. The ESP-01 connects to Wi-Fi, syncs time from an NTP server, and continuously displays accurate time without the need for an RTC or manual adjustment.

The PCB is intentionally kept clean and compact, focusing on reliability and ease of assembly. The TM1637 display is driven directly from the ESP-01, while onboard jumper pads allow you to select the display supply voltage. By default, the display runs at 3.3 V, but you can bridge the alternate jumper to power it at 5 V if higher brightness is needed. Brightness can also be adjusted in software through the TM1637 library.

The firmware is written using the Arduino framework. While the sketch is still a work in progress and a bit unpolished, it reliably connects to Wi-Fi, fetches NTP time, and updates the display as expected. As long as the required libraries are installed, the code works smoothly and is easy to tweak for formatting or features.

To make the clock practical beyond the PCB, a small set of 3D-printed feet was designed so the module can stand upright on a desk, turning it into a neat desktop clock. The result is a compact, low-cost NTP clock that’s perfect for learning ESP-01 networking, experimenting with TM1637 displays, or building a clean Wi-Fi time display with minimal hardware.

Credit & Acknowledgement

Complete Design & Engineering Credit: Marius This project is shared for educational and community reference purposes)