Real Time Clocks

Real-Time Clock (RTC) ICs are low-power, dedicated timekeeping devices designed to maintain the current date and time (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years) even when the main system power is completely shut down. RTCs are vital in applications requiring scheduled operations, timestamped data logging, and low standby power consumption, such as utility meters, smart appliances, industrial controllers, and network routers.

RTCs typically switch automatically to a backup battery or supercapacitor when main power fails. Advanced RTCs integrate temperature-compensated crystal oscillators (TCXOs) to achieve extreme timekeeping accuracy (often within +/-2 ppm, or less than one minute of drift per year) across a wide operating temperature range. Other features include alarm outputs, watchdog timers, and integrated non-volatile memory (EEPROM or SRAM) for critical configuration storage.

On Octatronics, find a vast selection of RTC ICs from leading manufacturers such as Analog Devices (Maxim), STMicroelectronics, Microchip, and NXP. Filter by interface (I2C, SPI), current consumption (nanoamps), accuracy, and package style, and easily submit online RFQs.