CD4060

The CD4060 is a 14-stage binary counter with an on-chip oscillator, part of the 4000-series CMOS logic family. It combines an RC oscillator with a 14-stage ripple counter, allowing a single external resistor and capacitor to generate a range of divided-down clock signals. The device is commonly used to create timing delays, clock signals, and timing references in digital circuits.

Oscillator and counter operation: The oscillator uses an external resistor and capacitor to set its frequency. The counter provides several divided outputs, typically available from the fourth through the fourteenth stage, yielding divide-by-2^4 (1/16) to divide-by-2^14 (1/16384) of the oscillator frequency. The first few stages are used for the oscillator itself, and in many packages these early stages are not exposed as usable outputs.

Electrical characteristics: The CD4060 operates over a supply voltage range typically from about 3 to 15 volts, with low power consumption characteristic of CMOS devices. Outputs are CMOS and can interface with other logic tolerances, but they are not designed to source large currents and may require buffering for heavy loads. The device is available in standard 14-pin DIP and various surface-mount packages.

Applications: It is used for timing and clock generation in microcontroller systems, simple frequency division, tone generation, LED flashers, and other circuits requiring multiple synchronized frequencies derived from a single RC oscillator.

See also: 4000-series CMOS logic, CD4013, other CMOS counters and oscillators.