Ben Eater's Digital Clock Uses AC Power for Timing
Building a digital clock from scratch is a fairly simple project. Just count seconds, minutes, and hours, then send the numbers to a display. But before you can count anything, you need something that reliably tells the circuit when a second has passed. In his latest video, Ben Eater demonstrates one way to do exactly that — and rather than reaching for a crystal oscillator or microcontroller, he gets his timing signal straight from the wall.
In the United States, AC mains power operates at a nominal frequency of 60 Hz. That frequency is carefully controlled by power utilities, which makes the electrical grid a convenient time reference for clocks. Eater's plan is to take advantage of this signal and clean it up for use with the rest of the circuit.
The same AC source also powers the circuitry. For safety, Eater starts with a wall adapter that steps 120...
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