• MK5017 P AA - Alarm Clock
• MK5017 P AN - Clock Radio Alarm
• MK5017 P BB - Calendar Clock

If you have spare MK5017 chips that are gathering dust, please send me an e-mail. I can put them to good use!

PINOUTS

DATA

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DIGITAL CLOCK ON A CHIP

[From the February 1973 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine.]

See How it Works
Digital Clock on a Chip

Twelve- or 24 -hour displays, alarm, snooze-alarm and clock-radio formats are offered in three MOS LSI circuits.

by Larry Sullivan
Mostek Corp., 1215 West Crosby Road, Carrollton, Tex.

A new family of three MOS IC's for use in electronic digital clocks makes possible several different types of "single chip" clocks. These devices have been introduced by Mostek Corporation of Carrollton, Texas.

All members of this "clock family" are six-digit clocks that display time in hours, minutes, and seconds. If only an hours and minutes clock is desired the same IC may be used with only the two hours and two minutes digits connected to the display. Outputs from these clocks may be connected directly to fluorescent-anode display tubes. The high-voltage output transistors allow fluorescent-anode display tubes to be driven directly.

The MK 5017 P clock circuits are available now in an alarm clock version, the MK 5017 P AA; a clock radio clock, the MK 5017 P AN; and a unique combination clock /calendar the MK 5017 P BB. Time may be displayed in either 12 -hour or 24 -hour formats.

The standard United States 60-Hz power line frequency may be used as a reference. If the clock is intended for overseas operation where 50 Hz is the standard power line frequency, the 50-Hz input frequency reference may be selected. The MK 5017 P clock senses the power supply voltage and, if loss of power is detected, displays all "eights". A backup battery may be used as a power supply during temporary power loss. An adjustable 50-Hz or 60-Hz oscillator is included on the chip to furnish the frequency reference during temporary loss of power.

The clock circuits require only a single power-supply voltage, simplifying power supply design.

Time setting is easy, a matter of depressing and holding push-buttons which allow the internal counters to increment at a 2-Hz rate. Each of the minutes digits and the hours digits may be set individually with no "carrys" generated to the more significant digits. Thus, there is no "overrun" when setting the counter to a time such as 2:59. In a counter in which "carrys" are allowed between digits it is very easy to increment the minutes "9" by one extra count and change all three digits so that the time reads 3:00. This makes it necessary to reset the hours, tens of minutes, and minutes all over again.

[Click for a larger image.]

MK 5017 P AA
The alarm clock version of this chip, the MK 5017 P AA, features a 24-hour alarm. An alarm tone at a frequency of approximately 700 Hz is generated on the chip by an internal oscillator. This alarm tone, suitably buffered, may be coupled into an inexpensive miniature speaker.

An AM /PM indicator is also provided to allow setting the alarm on a 24-hour basis. The AM /PM output, designated AM in Fig. 2. is pulled high to V_ss by the transistor to indicate AM. The AM output appears as an open circuit for PM.

If seconds are not being displayed the user may wish to use the optional 1-Hz output, available upon request, to blink the AM /PM indicator. This provides a visual indication that the clock is running. Figure 2 shows a typical circuit for a digital alarm clock using the MK 5017 P AA or MK 5017 P AN and seven-segment fluorescent-anode display tubes. The power supply consisting of transformer T1, rectifier diode D4, and filter capacitor C3 generates approximately (-35V dc). Reference diode D3 reduces the power supply output voltage to (-15V) for the IC's V_pp supply voltage. The optional backup batteries shown may be used to prevent loss of time during temporary power transients. Diode D2 remains OFF isolating the batteries from the power supply in normal operation. If ac power is removed, D2 is biased on by the batteries and provides the integrated circuit with V_DD supply voltage to prevent loss of time. While the ac power is OFF the voltage on the 50/60 IN pin remains at a steady logical one. The chip detects this condition and continues to measure time using its own 50/60 Hz internal oscillators as a time base.

The frequency of this oscillator may be set at either 50 Hz or 60 Hz by adjusting R1. When ac power is present, the 60-Hz sinusoidal waveform from transformer T1 is half-wave rectified by diode D1 and reduced from a (-35) volt peak to a voltage one or two volts more negative than V_DD by the resistive divider composed of R2 and R3. Capacitor C2 serves as a noise-spike suppressor and prevents false counts from noise spikes induced on the ac line by equipment using SCR switching or universal motors.

Fluorescent-anode display tubes are shown in this example. As shown, fluorescent-anode tubes may be driven directly by the clock circuit. The display tube anodes are connected directly to the clock segment outputs. The cathodes are driven by the individual digit outputs.

These display tubes have a common cathode and heaters. The 6.3 Vac winding of transformer T1 is reduced to approximately 4.2 Vac by resistor R4 since the individual filament voltage is about 0.7 volt. This series filament "string" is biased at about (-25 Vac) by transistor Q1.

Display brightness can be varied by adjusting variable resistor R5 which sets the base voltage of transistor Q1. Q1 acts as an emitter follower keeping a constant cathode bias on the display tubes.

There are two function input pins, KA and KB. Both KA and KB pins are sampled during each digit strobe. The intersection of the six-digit output strobe lines and the KA and KB lines forms a matrix that is 6 X 2. That is, there are 12 potential locations where a spst switch may be located. These switches may be used to define 12 separate functions or modes of operation for the circuit. For example, at D6 time the KA line is sampled to determine if the time set switch is closed. If the time set switch is closed, the KA line will he pulled high to V_ss by the D6 output driver transistor. Isolation diodes D5 through D16 prevent the digit outputs from being tied together in case of multiple switch closures. For example, if the time set switch at the intersection of D6 and KA and the hours switch at the intersection of D5 and KA were both closed, the D5 and D6 digit strobe outputs would be tied together if diodes D6 and D7 were omitted. At D5 time D6 is reverse-biased so the D6 line is not pulled high by the D5 output. Similarly, at D6 time D7 is reverse-biased so the D5 line is not pulled high by the D6 output transistor. Since the KA and KB inputs are time multiplexed, it is possible to connect 12 switches to only two input pins keeping the circuit in a 24-pin package.

As shown in the INPUTS table on Fig. 2, the switch located at the intersection of the D6 and KA line defines the TIME SET mode. The switch is closed in the TIME SET mode. In this mode of operation the contents of the time counter are displayed. Counting is stopped in the TIME SET mode and the seconds and "tens-of-seconds" digits are both held at zero. When the time set switch is released, the clock begins running.

The switch located at the intersection of D6 and KB is used to define the ALARM SET mode. In the ALARM SET mode of operation the contents of the alarm counter are displayed. The time counter continues running while the alarm is being set.

Closing the switch located at the intersection of the D5 and KA lines causes the hours digit to advance at the rate of two digits per second, (a 2-Hz rate). Closing the switch located at the D5 and KB intersection causes the minutes digit to advance at a 2-Hz rate. If both the hours and the minutes switches are closed simultaneously the "tens-of-minutes" digit advances twice each second.

Enabling the alarm is accomplished by closing the switch located at the intersection of the D4 and KB lines. When coincidence is detected between the time counter and the alarm counter, the alarm tone is generated for one hour if the enable alarm switch is closed.

When the alarm "goes off" the snooze switch located at the intersection of the D4 and KA lines may be momentarily depressed to inhibit the alarm. After seven minutes the alarm will go off again. This cycle may he repeated indefinitely.

Twelve or twenty-four hour time displays may be selected at any time without disturbing the time counter. Closing the switch located at the intersection of the D3 and KA line results in a twenty-four hour display.

For operation from a 50-Hz reference frequency, the switch located at the intersection of the D3 and KB lines may be closed. When this switch is open, the clock assumes a 60-Hz reference frequency.

MK 5017 P AN
Clock radio clocks may be built using the MK 5017 P AN. This circuit includes all of the features normally found on a clock radio clock. Both the alarm clock - MK 5017 P AA, and the clock -radio clock - MK 5017 P AN are shown in Fig. 2. The circuitry shown by dashed lines applies to the clock-radio clock. The remaining circuitry is common to both.

In addition to all of the features found on the alarm clock circuit the clock-radio circuit also has a radio sleep output that may be used to keep a radio or other appliance on for selected periods of time up to a maximum of two hours.

Radio sleep operation is selected by closing switch SL at the intersection of the D1 and KA lines in the input matrix. The switches located at the intersection of the Dl and KB lines (SL1) at the intersection of the D2 and KB lines (SL2), and at the intersection of the D2 and KA lines (SL2), are used to select the desired sleep time. There are eight possible combinations that may be achieved with these three switches, so a total of eight different sleep times may be selected. The switches are arranged in a binary code with the switch designated as SL1 being the least significant bit.

The switch designated as SL4 is the most significant bit. The times that may be selected, along with the switch closures required to program these times, are presented in table.

After selecting the desired radio sleep time from the table, close the sleep switch to start the timing interval. It is not necessary to install three switches and remember the binary code for sleep times. Instead, an eight-position three-pole rotary switch may be used to easily and rapidly select sleep times.

In addition to the radio sleep feature the MK 5017 AA also has a radio WAKE/SLEEP output. The radio WAKE/SLEEP output is operative during RADIO WAKE and RADIO SLEEP operation. For RADIO WAKE operation the radio WAKE /SLEEP output is on when the alarm counter and the time counter become equal. The radio WAKE/SLEEP output remains active for one hour during radio wake operation.

A display inhibit pin is included on the clock -radio clock circuit. All of the segment- and digit-output transistors are disabled (turned off) when the inhibit pin is connected to V_ss. This feature makes it possible to build a multifunction clock using only one display, without any external multiplexing circuits.