[time-nuts] IC Used In WWVB Receiver (Link In E-Mail)

[Bill Byrom]

I don't have one of those modules. But I believe that most or all such low cost WWVB modules sold on Amazon (and similar distribution sources) use an IC from a Finnish company (Micro Analog Systems). They have produced several different chips over the past 16 years for use in clocks which are synchronized from WWWB and other VLF time signals. They all appear to decode the AM amplitude only (ASK ,but no BPSK demodulation). So they don't provide any frequency or phase information from the signal, and are only meant to provide a demodulated digital stream to a controller which drives a display for date and time display to 1 second resolution.

The older modules seem to use the MAS10106B AM receiver IC , which has a single-ended antenna input. The datasheets I can find are dated January, 2004, and this IC seems to be discontinued.

The later modules seem to use the MAS6180C AM receiver IC, which has a differential antenna input and so better noise rejection (which can be a big problem for time code receivers). The datasheets I can find are dated September 2014. 

These are tuned RF receivers and are used with a resonant ferrite antenna and crystal which is resonant at the operating frequency. These IC's work with DCF77 (77.5 kHz), HGB (75 kHz), MSF (60 kHz), WWVB (60 kHz), JJY (40 and 60 kHz), or BPC (68.5 kHz) crystals. The crystals are ground to a 3 Hz higher frequency (except 5 Hz higher for 68.5 kHz). Stray capacitance below 1 pF can affect the crystal resonant frequency. See:
https://www.mas-oy.com/portfolio/mas6180c/
https://www.datasheetq.com/datasheet-download/477051/1/MAS-Oy/MAS1016BTB1
--
Bill Byrom N5BB



On Mon, Sep 21, 2020, at 7:25 PM, John C. Westmoreland, P.E. wrote:
> Hello Time Nuts,
> 
> Does anyone know which IC is used in the following:
> (Note:  Links have been sanitized by the list moderator.)
> 
> WWVB Receiver on Amazon
> <https://www.amazon.com/Alano-Controlled-Modules-Receiver-Operating/dp/B07RYK5KN6>
> 
> It also comes with a clock module:
> 
> With Clock Module
> <https://www.amazon.com/ALANO-Controlled-Receiver-Modules-Operating/dp/B07YD2XCFL>
> 
> Thanks In Advance!
> 
> 73's,
> John
> AJ6BC
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