Digital clock

A digital clock is a clock that shows the time through digits. It thus differs from the analog clock that uses pointer on a dial that displays the time. Which way is done the timing is irrelevant - they may be at a digital clock using analog technology or an analog clock with digital technology.

First digital watches were already in the 19th century, for example, in the proscenium arch of the Dresden Semperoper. The clock in the clocktower on St Mark's Square in Venice even dates back to 1599th

The biggest digital clock is located on the shaft of the Rhine Tower in Dusseldorf.

Types of display

The display of the digits is nowadays mostly by LC displays. In the 1970s, LEDs were initially normal, but only on button lit up because of their high power consumption for a few seconds. It followed from about 1974 LCD displays with the Twisted Nematic (TN) electro-optic effect. More now little more common display variants are fall leaves (also known by the Bahnhofs-/Flughafenanzeigetafeln ), discs or rollers with printed numbers (eg, in the km display in cars ) and Nixie tubes. In another variant, the machine is driven by a synchronous motor, which displaces mechanical shutter, which are arranged in the form of a seven segment display and illuminated by an incandescent lamp. These types of displays can also be found in older electrical alarm clocks. To view the numbers seven-segment displays are mainly used sometimes matrix displays.

Ways of representing

On a digital clock, the time is usually depicted in one of the following options:

• 00:00:00 to 23:59:59 (hours: minutes: seconds → 24- count)
• 00:00 to 23:59 (hours: minutes, 24- count)
• 00:01 to 24:00 (hours: minutes, 24- count)
• 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM (hours: minutes morning (AM [ Note 1 ] ) and hours: minutes Afternoon (PM [ Note 2 ])) → 2-by- 12-hour count
• 0.00 h to 23.99 h (hours, decimal minutes. 1:45 it is apparent, for example, 1.75 hours )
• @ 000 - @ 999 ( a less common variant in the Swatch Internet Time)

Relative to the shape of the analog clock digital clock provides the advantage that the ads of eg two clock at night ( 02:00) and two clock a day (14:00), are distinguishable. In addition, (usually) no moving parts are required. The disadvantage is argued that the announcement must be read deliberately, whereas conveys a sufficient basic information plus an analog clock even a cursory glance. The exact time is, however, to read faster and more accurately with a digital clock.

Digital watches use quartz crystals almost exclusively as a timing key factor in the digital electronics, so that the term quartz watch was often equated with the term digital clock. In the meantime ( after 2000), however, keeps the number of crystal-controlled digital and analog watches the scale.