Article: Predicting Long Term Voltage Drift Over Time

[Gramham]

Hello Everyone,

Another interesting article for those of us who stand utterly breath taken at the technological tour de force known as "Digital Watches".

Aside from the potential of a drifting oscillator, reference voltages also drift over time as vulnerable components (usually capacitors) evolve in terms of their electrical characteristics.

Here's an interesting article about Drifting Reference Voltage(s) and how one might go about predicting that drift over the extremely long-term so as to maintain (as best as possible) a known starting point with respect to reference voltages as implemented in timing circuits:

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/electronic-component-aging-prediction-the-long-term-drift-in-voltage-references/

The biggest takeaway?  Temperature and humidity can seriously affect the precision and longevity of digital timepiece components.

Especially temperature, as many of today's digital timepieces are hermetically sealed.

Personally speaking, I found the variance of the graphs to be really wild.

IMHO - Anyone taking on that challenge is real hero.



Wow - imagine trying to design a reliable long-term precision timing circuit with a component exhibiting that kind of reference voltage degradation and variance!

g.
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[Sirius]

Not so wild.....

the Drift and Variance is in ppm, means parts per million, bloody small in my Opinion.  And 1000 Hours is not longterm for a Watch, it would be interesting to know the Drift and Variance for 10000 and 20000 Hours. If you need accurate Time you will have either Radio controlled Timers (dcf77 etc.) or at least temperatur-stabilised Timers.

 

regards,

Ernst