Image: RamonvanDijk / reddit.com · Grained’s planned hourglass-shaped circuit board shown as a PCB design render
Grained: an ESP32 hourglass that blocks distracting iPhone apps
RamonvanDijk used Claude Code to build a working focus-timer prototype and iPhone app. The custom LED circuit board was designed and reviewed but had not been ordered.
Credits
- Build author RamonvanDijk Source ↗
Earliest dated source: Details reviewed:
The full story
Grained is a physical focus timer: flipping the hourglass starts a session, while a companion iPhone app blocks selected distractions. Its maker reports an end-to-end breadboard prototype using an ESP32-C3, MicroPython, BLE, an accelerometer, an OLED and NFC stickers.
Claude Code helped with the firmware, React Native app, KiCad board, Blender enclosure and launch video. The proposed four-layer board has 211 LEDs but had not been ordered. The maker describes fixing a BLE advertising fault on real hardware and correcting component rotations in the fabrication preview, despite the design files passing checks.
Before and after
- Starting problem
- An experiment in using Claude Code to develop a physical product.
- Reported result
- A working breadboard timer linked to an iPhone app; custom PCB still awaiting manufacture.
Device and compatibility
- ESP32-C3 prototype and iPhone · MicroPython; iOS companion app
The custom four-layer PCB was not yet manufactured.
Source ↗
What Claude did
- Helped implement firmware and app, design the board and enclosure, and edit the launch video.Claude Code Source ↗
Parts and cost
- ESP32-C3, accelerometer, OLED and NFC stickersSource ↗
How it was done
Tools
Themes
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Sources
From a short post by the maker, so the details are as they tell them.