
The CD4060 is a CMOS chip with a binary counter and oscillator included. It can be used to produce selectable time delays or to create signals of different frequencies. This is because it has a built-in oscillator module that only requires a few passive electronic components.
From only two resistors and one capacitor it can create 10 different frequencies . That makes it a very interesting chip, especially for those interested in audio and synthesizers.
Pin Overview
Pin Name | Pin # | Type | Description |
---|---|---|---|
VDD | 16 | Power | Supply Voltage (+3 to +15V) |
GND | 8 | Power | Ground (0V) |
Q3-Q9 | 1-7 | Output | Counter outputs |
Q11-Q13 | 13-15 | Output | Counter outputs |
CEXT | 9 | Input | Connection for external capacitor |
REXT | 10 | Input | Connection for external resistor |
CLK | 11 | Input | Clock input/Oscillator pin |
RST | 12 | Input | Resets the counter |
What is a Binary Counter with Oscillator?
A binary ripple counter is a circuit made up of D flip-flops in series. The output of one is connected to the CLK input of the next. The CLK input of the flip-flop on the left is the counter input.

Instead of just four flip-flops like in the example above, the CD4060 has 14 flip-flops in series. This means it can count up to 16383 (the maximum value of 14 bits).
It also has a built-in oscillator that makes it possible to create a clock pulse to automatically increase the counter. This makes the CD4060 a timer circuit that can be used to select between different time delays (or frequencies), depending on which Q-output you use.
For example, if you choose values for the resistor and capacitor so that the oscillator creates a clock pulse of 1 Hz, it means it will increase the counter every second. So for an 8-second delay, you can use output Q3. Or for a delay of 2 hours and 16 minutes (8192 seconds), you can use output Q13.
The Missing Outputs Q0, Q1, Q2, Q10
For some reason, the CD4060 lacks the outputs Q0 to Q2 and Q10.
I haven’t found any official info on why those outputs are omitted, but the most probable theory I’ve read is that the 4060 is an upgrade of the 4040. The 4040 had 16 pins, so they might have removed some of the bits to be able to add an oscillator and a higher bit count with the same amount of pins.
How To Use The CD4060
First of all, you need to connect theVDD pinto your positive supply terminal and theGND pinto your negative supply terminal. You can use a power supply voltage between 3V and 15V. Although, some versions of the 4060 chip support up to 20V. Check your datasheet for exact values.
To activate the oscillator, connect a resistor from the REXT pin, a capacitor from the CEXT pin, and a resistor from the CLK pin, and connect all three of them at the other end:

The frequency is given by this formula:
Frequency f (Hz) = 1 / ( 2.3 * Ct * Rt )
Note that Rt needs to be much lower than R2 for the formula to be correct.
If you want to reset the counter back to zero, use pull the RST (Reset) pin HIGH. Normally, you need to pull this LOW for the chip to work.
Use any of the Q pins as your output to control whatever you want to control. They become HIGH after:
- Q3 goes HIGH after 23 = 8 clock pulses
- Q4 goes HIGH after 24 = 16 clock pulses
- Q5 goes HIGH after 25 = 32 clock pulses
- Q6 goes HIGH after 26 = 64 clock pulses
- Q7 goes HIGH after 27 = 128 clock pulses
- Q8 goes HIGH after 28 = 256 clock pulses
- Q9 goes HIGH after 29 = 512 clock pulses
- Q11 goes HIGH after 211 = 2048 clock pulses
- Q12 goes HIGH after 212 = 4096 clock pulses
- Q13 goes HIGH after 213 = 8192 clock pulses
Using a Crystal with the CD4060
Want to use a crystal for better precision?
That’s possible. This type of oscillator is called a Pierce Oscillator.
The datasheet of the CD4060 does not say much about how to choose values for this. But I found a similar chip, the74AHC1G4210. It works like the 4060, except that it only has one output instead of several.
It gives a bit more info inits datasheet:
A typical crystal oscillator schematic is shown in Figure 8. R1 is the power limiting resistor, its value depends on the frequency and required stability against changes in VCC or average ICC. For starting and maintaining oscillation a minimum transconductance is necessary, so R1 should not be too large. A practical value for R1 is 2.2 kΩ.

What Crystal To Choose?
Let’s say you want to use the 4060 IC as a frequency divider to get 500 Hz. What crystal do you need?
Q3 needs 8 clock pulses to go from low to high. And another 8 to go from high back to low again. So it needs 16 pulses for one complete cycle (frequency period).
It’s the same for every output, so we can use this to find the theoretical crystal frequency you’d need to get 500 Hz from a given output:
- For Q3 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 16 = 8 kHz
- For Q4 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 32 = 16 kHz
- For Q5 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 64 = 32 kHz
- For Q6 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 128 = 64 kHz
- For Q7 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 256 = 128 kHz
- For Q8 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 512 = 256 kHz
- For Q9 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 1024 = 512 kHz
- For Q11 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 4096 = 2.048 MHz
- For Q12 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 8192 = 4.096 MHz
- For Q13 output, you’d need a crystal of 500 * 16384 = 8.192 MHz
Not all these exist as crystal values, it’s just an example of how you can find viable crystal frequencies for a given output. But the 2.048MHz or 4.096MHz are both pretty common and will give you 500 Hz.
CD4060 Example Circuit – Adjustable Timer
Here’s a practical example that you can build with the 4060 chip:
To build this circuit you’ll need:
- A 4060 chip, such as the CD4060BE
- A rotary switch with as many positions as you’d like timer options
- A 100 kΩ resistor (R1)
- 0.22 µF (C1)
- A 1 MΩ resistor (R2)
- An NPN transistor (Q1)
- A 1kΩ resistor (R3) to limit the current through the transistor
- A relay
With the chosen values for C1 and R1, you get a frequency of:
Frequency f (Hz) = 1 / ( 2.3 * 0.0000022 F * 100000 Ω) = 1.98 Hz
So we have about 2 clock pulses per second. And we can thereby find the time delay before each output goes high:
- Q3 goes HIGH after 23 = 8 clock pulses = 4 seconds
- Q4 goes HIGH after 24 = 16 clock pulses = 8 seconds
- Q5 goes HIGH after 25 = 32 clock pulses = 16 seconds
- Q6 goes HIGH after 26 = 64 clock pulses = 32 seconds
- Q7 goes HIGH after 27 = 128 clock pulses = 1 minute and 4 seconds
- Q8 goes HIGH after 28 = 256 clock pulses = 2 minutes and 8 seconds
- Q9 goes HIGH after 29 = 512 clock pulses = 4 minutes and 16 seconds
- Q11 goes HIGH after 211 = 2048 clock pulses = 17 minutes and 4 seconds
- Q12 goes HIGH after 212 = 4096 clock pulses = 34 minutes and 8 seconds
- Q13 goes HIGH after 213 = 8192 clock pulses = 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds
Alternatives and Equivalents for 4060
You likely find the 4060 IC marked as CD4060, NTE4060, MC14060, HCF4060, TC4060, or HEF4060. Usually with a few extra characters at the end (Ex: CD4060BE).
This has to do with the manufacturer of the chip and the technology used. But the functionality and the pins are the same.
If you can’t find any of these chips in your local electronics store, check outmy list of online storeswith several options to buy from.
If you can’t find the 4060, you could try one of the following IC alternatives with binary ripple counter. But note that you’d have to create the oscillator yourself:
- 4020: 14-stage binary ripple counter (No oscillator)
- 4024: 7-stage binary ripple counter (No oscillator)
- 4040: 12-stage binary ripple counter (No oscillator)
4060 Datasheet
Download the PDF datasheet for the IC 4060 here:
CD4060B(Texas Instruments)
HEF4060B(Nexperia)
Go back to the full overview of the 4000-series integrated circuits
FAQs
Which binary counter has built in oscillator? ›
The CD4060 is a CMOS chip with a binary counter and oscillator included. It can be used to produce selectable time delays or to create signals of different frequencies. This is because it has a built-in oscillator module that only requires a few passive electronic components.
What is the oscillator frequency of CD4060? ›Oscillator Features: All active components on chip. RC or crystal oscillator configuration. RC oscillator frequency of 690 kHz min.
How does a CD4060 work? ›CD4060 Working Principle
The CD4060 IC has an in-built oscillator module. As it is a binary counter, therefore on every negative transition of clock pulse, the counter value gets incremented by 1 in binary numbers. The reset input should always be grounded or connected to the negative power supply.
You can use the 7-bit and the12-bit CD4024B as alternatives to the CD4060. However, since the CD4060 belongs to the CD4000 series, you can use some I.C.s in this group as equivalents.
Which crystal oscillator is best? ›OCXO Oscillators
The oven controlled crystal oscillator is designed to be able to operate inside a temperature controlled oven. It is the most stable crystal oscillator and is many times used in: Satellites.
Computers, clocks, watches, radios, and metal detectors are among the many devices that use oscillators. A clock pendulum is a simple type of mechanical oscillator. The most accurate timepiece in the world, the atomic clock, keeps time according to the oscillation within atoms.
What is frequency oscillator used for? ›A variable frequency oscillator (VFO) in electronics is an oscillator whose frequency can be tuned (i.e., varied) over some range. It is a necessary component in any tunable radio transmitter or receiver that works by the superheterodyne principle, and controls the frequency to which the apparatus is tuned.
What does radio frequency oscillator do? ›An RF oscillator is defined as the electronic circuit it produces periodic, Oscillating signals. RF oscillator is known to convert the direct current originating from the power supply into an alternating current signal.
What is oscillator in audio frequency type? ›Detailed Solution. Wien bridge oscillator is used for audio frequency applications and provides a wide range of frequencies.
What is the price of IC cd4060? ›Price: ₹ 22 with 18% GST. (₹ 18.64 without GST.)
What is a binary counter? ›
What Does Binary Counter Mean? A binary counter is a hardware circuit that is made out of a series of flip-flops. The output of one flip-flop is sent to the input of the next flip-flop in the series. A binary counter can be either asynchronous or synchronous, depending on how the flip-flops are connected together.
What is IC 4026? ›4026 IC is a 4000 series IC. It is a CMOS seven-segment counter IC and can be operated at very low power. It is a decade counter, counts in decimal digits (0-9). It is used to display numbers on seven segment displays and it increment the number by one, when a clock pulse is applied to its PIN 1.
What is the most widely used oscillator? ›The most common oscillators are the stochastic oscillator, relative strength (RSI), rate of change (ROC), and money flow (MFI).
How long do crystal oscillators last? ›Quartz and other materials used in crystal oscillators are inert minerals, meaning it takes thousands of years to weather them in nature – giving them an indefinite shelf life.
What is the most accurate oscillator? ›- MACD. Moving averages are some of the best indicators in the market. ...
- Relative Strength Index (RSI) ...
- Stochastic Oscillator. ...
- Chande Momentum Oscillator (CM) ...
- Commodity Channel Index (CCI) ...
- DeMarker Indicator. ...
- Awesome Oscillator.
Oscillations are of three types: Free, damped and forced oscillations.
What are the major types of oscillator? ›There are two main types of electronic oscillator – the linear or harmonic oscillator and the nonlinear or relaxation oscillator.
How does an oscillator work? ›An oscillator is a circuit which produces a continuous, repeated, alternating waveform without any input. Oscillators basically convert unidirectional current flow from a DC source into an alternating waveform which is of the desired frequency, as decided by its circuit components.
What is the main advantage of using oscillator? ›Advantages of Oscillator Circuit
Economical: The oscillators are cheap in cost which makes them economical. Portable: The Oscillator uses DC source to convert the unidirectional current into the bidirectional current. Due to the usage of DC source, it does not require any moving component to generate energy.
A benefit of this definition is that it quantifies discontinuity: the oscillation gives how much the function is discontinuous at a point.
How many types of oscillators are there? ›
There are two types of oscillator circuits available they are linear and nonlinear oscillators. The linear oscillators give the sinusoidal input.
What is the difference between oscillator and amplifier? ›Difference between amplifier and oscillators. Amplifier is an electronic circuit which gives output as amplified form of input. Oscillators is an electronic circuit which gives output without application of input. The amplifier does not generate any periodic signal.
How do oscillators make sound? ›Oscillators generate sound by, er, oscillating. That is, their circuitry basically changes or oscillates between two states very quickly, and just as a vibrating string produces a sound, so the oscillating electronic circuit generates a waveform that can be amplified and used as a sound source.
What are the two requirements for oscillation? ›- To provide the necessary gain for the signal, the oscillator requires amplification. ...
- The oscillator requires sufficient regenerative feedback to sustain oscillation.
Phase Shift and Wein-bridge oscillators are used to generate audio frequencies, i.e. frequencies in AF Range. Crystal Oscillators are used where high-frequency stability is required.
Which oscillator is mostly used for generating audio frequency signal? ›RC Oscillators − There oscillators use resistors and capacitors and are used to generate low or audio-frequency signals. Thus they are also known as audio-frequency (A.F.) oscillators. Such oscillators are Phase –shift and Wein-bridge oscillators.
Why is IC so cheap? ›The size and cost is low because the chips, with all their components, are printed as a unit by photolithography rather than being constructed one transistor at a time. Furthermore, packaged ICs use much less material than discrete circuits.
How long do IC chips last? ›A chip will not expire (assuming no temperature or ESD damage) however the solderability of the chips may suffer over time.
How much does TV IC cost? ›IC (Integrated Circuits ),Spare Parts,Components for LED TV at Rs 12/piece(s) | IC Components in Gurugram | ID: 10391414188.
What is an example of a binary counter? ›For example, the binary count from 0111 (7) to 1000 (8) is appeared by (a) complementing the low-order bit, (b) complementing the second-order bit because the first bit of 0111 is 1, (c) complementing the third-order bit because the first two bits of 01 11 are 1's, and (d) complementing the fourth-order bit because the ...
What is the difference between a binary counter and a BCD counter? ›
Binary counters are counters that go through a binary sequence and an n-bit binary counter is made of “n” number of flip-flops counting from 0 to 2n-1. BCD counters follow a sequence of ten states and count using BCD numbers from 0000 to 1001 and then returns to 0000 and repeats.
What is the price of CD 4026 IC? ›₹239.20 FREE Delivery on first order.
What is smartphone IC? ›It is the component electronic chip that distributes required value or measure of current voltage to all other parts of the mobile phone.
What does IC 4017 do? ›IC 4017 is a digital counter plus decoder circuit. This pin goes high after the IC counts from 1 to 10. This is used as carry while counting. The IC can work from 3V to 15V, but normally powered with +5V to the Vdd/Vcc pin and the Ground/Vss pin is connected to ground.
Does Arduino have oscillator? ›Arduino boards use a variety of oscillator configurations. The Uno board features a very pronounced crystal oscillator next to the USB-B port. As shown in the image above, the "T16. 000" marking indicates that the device oscillates at 16 MHz.
What oscillator does Arduino use? ›As it delivers only required amount of voltage to the input of the arduino board and controls the DC power supply utilized by the microcontroller and other peripheral devices. With the help of crystal oscillator the microcontroller is able to calculate the time.
How BJT is used as an oscillator? ›BJT oscillators work on the principle of electrical resonance in a circuit. Feedback network is a network which sends back part of output power to the input and helps in creating oscillations in the output for a DC input. This is known as positive feedback as the feedback power is added to the input power.
What are the different types of binary counter? ›What Does Binary Counter Mean? A binary counter is a hardware circuit that is made out of a series of flip-flops. The output of one flip-flop is sent to the input of the next flip-flop in the series. A binary counter can be either asynchronous or synchronous, depending on how the flip-flops are connected together.
CAN microcontroller work without oscillator? ›Microcontrollers and microprocessors depend on oscillators for basic timing and control. Oscillators are responsible for supplying the clock signals in microcontrollers. All the instructions executed by microcontrollers are in synchronization with clock signals.
Does Arduino Nano have a crystal oscillator? ›Arduino Nano R3 Figure 9 comes with a crystal oscillator of frequency 16 MHz. It is used to produce a clock of precise frequency using constant voltage.
How accurate is 16Mhz crystal? ›
For example, if you are using a 16Mhz crystal, it can help improve the accuracy of your device by up to 0.1%. In addition to that, a 16Mhz crystal can also help reduce power consumption. This is because it can help lower the operating voltage of your device.
Is oscillator an amplifier? ›An oscillator is nothing but an amplifier with positive feedback.
How do you make an oscillator circuit? ›You can make a simple oscillator with an inductor (a coil) and a capacitor (two parallel plates). The circuit will alternately store energy in the capacitors (electrical energy) and in the inductor (magnetic energy). The electrons coming off one plate will pass through the inductor.
Why are oscillator circuits used? ›Oscillators convert direct current (DC) from a power supply to an alternating current (AC) signal. They are widely used in many electronic devices ranging from simplest clock generators to digital instruments (like calculators) and complex computers and peripherals etc.
How does a binary counter work? ›A binary counter is basically a state machine that just cycles through its states for each cycle of a clock signal. The JK flip-flop is considered to be the most universal flip-flop design and can be used as different kinds of flip-flops just by adjusting how the input to the J and K terminals is done.
What is binary counter also called? ›Binary counters are circuits that generate binary sequences that can be associated with the number of clock signal pulses applied to the input. An asynchronous counter is often called a ripple counter.
How do you make a binary counter? ›A binary counter can be constructed from J-K flip-flops by taking the output of one cell to the clock input of the next. The J and K inputs of each flip-flop are set to 1 to produce a toggle at each cycle of the clock input.