Binary clock

Building a binary clock

A first variant of binary clocks represents the current time in binary with the help of binary display elements, which individually convert and display each decimal digit of the time to be output in the dual system analogous to the BCD code . A second variant shows the time individually for hours, minutes and seconds without a direct reference to decimal digits in the dual system.

Structure of a binary clock of the first variant

The first column from the left is used to display the tens value of the current number of hours and can only take three values ​​(0, 1 and 2), in the picture on the right it is 1 for 10 o'clock. The second column therefore shows the unit values ​​for the current time, in this case 0. This results in a value of for the hours

${\displaystyle 1\cdot 10\;\mathrm {Stunden} +0\cdot 1\;\mathrm {Stunde} =10\;\mathrm {Stunden} }$.

The minutes can also be read off accordingly: The tens values ​​are shown in the third column, the units values ​​for the respective time are shown in the fourth column. This results in a value of

${\displaystyle 3\cdot 10\;\mathrm {Minuten} +7\cdot 1\;\mathrm {Minute} =37\;\mathrm {Minuten} }$.

The seconds are displayed in the same way as the minutes. So it results:

${\displaystyle 4\cdot 10\;\mathrm {Sekunden} +9\cdot 1\;\mathrm {Sekunde} =49\;\mathrm {Sekunden} }$.

Reading aid

In order to recognize the number displayed in each column, the rows are assigned the values ​​1, 2, 4 and 8 from bottom to top (see picture). If a light emitting diode is now lit, the value of the row in which it is located is added to that of the other light emitting diodes in the same column.

Example for the minutes: In the fourth column, the diodes that stand for the values ​​1, 2 and 4 light up. These numbers add up to the value 7, the displayed unit value of the minutes.

Representations according to the second variant

Binary wristwatch without separation between tens and units

In the case of binary wristwatches , the display is often in three columns, which are laid out as follows:

power	Hours	Minutes	Seconds
32	0	0	1
16	0	1	1
8th	1	0	0
4th	0	0	0
2	1	0	0
1	0	1	0
Decimal	10:	17:	48

So there is no separation between tens and ones. On these clocks, the hours, minutes and seconds are displayed in the conventional binary number system, which means that 2 lines more and 3 columns less are required.

Binary clock with three lines for electronic display of hours (16,8,4,2,1), minutes (32,16,8,4,2,1), seconds (32,16,8,4,2,1 ) on the facade of the main train station in St. Gallen, Switzerland

In the case of larger displays, the display can also take place on 3 lines and 6 columns, with the three lines showing hours, minutes and seconds in binary form.

This system is more related to the pure binary system.

Web links

Commons : Binary clock  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Example of a binary clock
• Example with JavaScript, very simple design
• Open source binary clock in an alternative structure
• PIC binary clock
• The station clock that nobody can read.