The ChronoDot RTC is an
extremely accurate real time clock module, based on the DS3231 temperature
compensated RTC (TCXO). It includes a CR2016 battery which should last at least
8 years if the I2C interface is only used while the device has 5V power
available. No external crystal or tuning capacitors are required.
The
DS3231 has an internal crystal and a switched bank of tuning capacitors. The
temperature of the crystal is continously monitored, and the capacitors are
adjusted to maintain a stable frequency. Other RTC solutions may drift minutes
per month, especially in extreme temperature ranges...the ChronoDot will drift
less than a minute per year. This makes the ChronoDot very well suited for time
critical applications that cannot be regularly synchronized to an external
clock. Here is a live demo of a DS3231 chip that has been keeping time since it
was last synchronized in 2005: DS3231 Web
Demo
The ChronoDot will plug into a standard solderless breadboard
and also has mounting holes for chassis installation.
The I2C interface
is very straightforward and virtually identical to the register addresses of the
popular DS1337 and DS1307 RTCs, which means that existing code for the Arduino,
Basic Stamp, Cubloc, and other controllers should work with no
modification.
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