Tronixlabs DS321 hardware clock config for Rasperberry Pi

For various reasons I need to make a Raspberry Pi into an NTP time server and for this to work I need time to be roughly right when it starts. hence we need to add an RTC to the Raspberry Pi running Raspberian.



Tronixlabs supplies a very nice module (http://tronixlabs.com/raspberry-pi/real-time-clock/ds321-real-time-clock-module-for-raspberry-pi/) but the instructions are a little less than optimal.


The DS321 is command compatible with the DS1307.



The basic setup of the module is to install the module directly onto the pins of the GPIO header (in this case a Model B) and follow the instructions translated from French on (http://www.pihomeserver.fr/en/2014/03/08/raspberry-pi-home-server-ajouter-une-horloge-rtc-ds1307-sur-le-bus-i2c/)

1. Update the system:

sudo apt-get update && apt-get -y upgrade


2. Enable the I2C interface by editing the file /etc/modules. Add the following lines at the end of the file:

i2c-bcm2708
i2c-dev
rtc_ds1307

3. Remove the I2C module from the blacklist. In /etc/modprobe.d/raspi-blacklist.conf comment out blacklist i2c-bcm2708 (add a # to the beginning of the line)

#blacklist i2c-bcm2708


4. Restart the Raspberry Pi

sudo reboot


5. Install the I2C tools

sudo apt-get install i2c-tools


6. Detect the clock (for Model A x is 0 for Model B x is 1)

sudo i2cdetect -y x


The number 68 should appear in the output.
7. Define the device (for Model A x is 0 for Model B x is 1)

sudo echo ds1307 0x68 > /sys/class/i2c-adapter/i2c-x/new_device


8. Read the hardware clock

sudo hwclock -r


9. Set the time using the date command
10. Write the hardware clock

sudo hwclock -w



We now leave the instructions provided above and focus on getting the clock enabled and used in the init scripts. The default hwclock.sh script cannot be used without recompiling the kernel as the kernel modules are not loaded at the point it runs. So:

-1. Optionally remove fake-hwclock

sudo apt-get remove fake-hwclock
sudo rm /etc/cron.hourly/fake-hwclock
sudo update-rc.d -f fake-hwclock remove
sudo rm /etc/init.d/fake-hwclock


1. Install an init script that loads, initialises and saves the RTC (/etc/init.d/ds1307.sh)
2. set the links to the default boot order

sudo update-rc.d ds1307.sh defaults


3. configure (date) and save the time

sudo /etc/init.d/ds1307.sh stop
sudo /etc/init.d/ds1307.sh status



And we should now have a working RTC clock under a current version of Raspberian