Digital Clocks and How They Work

How Do Digital Clocks Work?Have you ever wondered how the digital clock on your wall works? Many of us have. Let’s take a quick look at the “mechanics” of a digital clock.

First of all, every clock, whether digital or analog, must have certain things. There must be power to run the clock. This can be in the form of a battery, an electrical outlet and cord, or weights and springs (inside a pendulum clock). There must also be a “heartbeat” for the clock. This is some sort of timebase that will maintain accuracy. Also needed is a way to “gear down” the timebase so that the clock can show the “pieces” of time: hours, minutes, seconds. Finallyl, the clock must have a way to show the time. For example, in a traditional analog clock, there is a face and hands where the time can be read.

How These Four Pieces Work In A Digital Clock

In most clocks (analog, pendulum) the functions are handled mechanically. The pendulum swings back and forth, keeping time. There are gears to convert the time to smaller increments. Etc. In a digital clock, all these things are managed electronically.

Where’s The Power in Digital Clocks?

In a digital clock, there is an electrical power source, either battery or a plug into the wall outlet. Think about it – whether the digital clock is on the stove or microwave, or on your digital alarm clock, or in your car dashboard, there is a source of electricity to power it.

Timebase? What’s A Timebase?

There is an electronic timebase inside the clock. This can generate a signal that is accurately at 60-hertz. This means 60 oscillations per second. It does this in one of two ways. It can be from a regular power line. All clocks that are plugged into the wall get their signal that way. The other way is called a crystal oscillator. This method, while using more parts, is also more accurate. It is the method used for watches and battery-operated clocks.

Digital Clock - Let’s Break It Down…

The digital clock needs an electronic way to break the time into segments. This piece is called the “counter.” The counter divides by any number between 2 and 10, then making a binary number. Consequently, the incoming signal (60-Hz) is divided by 10, then divided by 6, and is now a 1-Hz signal, which is one oscillation per second. That makes it perfect for working the second hand part of the clock.

Digital Clock - Making It Seen

The display on a digital clock can be either of two types: LES or LCD. The LES (Light Emitting Diodes) are like little light bulbs that fit into an electrical circuit. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) are like the screen on a laptop screen.

Sure does take a lot to run your digital clock. How does all this stuff fit into a tiny space? Nowadays, all this can fit onto one little spot on a circuit board, making it all much more compact than ever before.

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