Build a Binary Clock with Elixir and Nerves

Use Layering to Produce Better Embedded Systems

Frank Hunleth, Bruce A. Tate

Combining software with hardware can be frustrating, but you can become proficient in no time by taking a simple, logical approach. Blinking a single LED is the traditional "Hello-World" of embedded systems. Building your own binary clock is the logical next step. It blinks groupings of LEDs based on the system time. This guide walks you through a working project using the techniques used by experts who build software for hardware every day.

This commonsense project moves forward in tiny, logical steps. As you progress, you can verify each step before moving on to the next. You don't have to be a Nerves novice to benefit from this project. Become a better Elixir programmer as you build your own desktop showpiece. With a layered approach to software design, you'll learn to control the complexity of your programs the way the experts do by focusing on one small slice of your system at a time.

When you're done, you'll have your own binary clock and more of the tools you need to design and build your own Nerves and Elixir projects. You'll also be a better programmer with a deeper appreciation of layering techniques for controlling complexity.

Table of contents

• Build a Binary Clock with Elixir  and Nerves