More about Timers

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Timers are used in a vast assortment of control, logging and signaling applications. Many systems rely on built-in timers to start, stop and alter their process operations, while others use them to record essential performance data. Timers also serve a multitude of more basic functions, including use in employee tracking, alarms, food processing and research instrumentation.

Manufacturers use a variety of systems to ensure accurate timing. Among the most widely used are solid state timers, electromechanical timers, pneumatic timers, and electronic timers. Solid state timers utilize systems without moving parts to calculate duration. Electromechanical timers fall into two basic categories: thermal expansion and cam, or motor-driven, timers. Each uses a combination of electricity and mechanical motion to achieve the desired operation.

Thermal expansion and delay timers induce a current through a component made up of two different metals, and the differences in their rate of expansion results in a timing effect. Cam timers use a system of gears and a small motor to generate a time-counting operation; generally these timers are used for presetting countdowns. Reset timers are a specialized form of motor driven timer that uses a clutch-activated system to reset itself when it counts down to a certain point. It can be set to restart its cycle, idle or shut itself off.

Pneumatic timers use restricted air flow through an opening to a diaphragm to achieve a timing effect. They are advantageous in certain situations because they are not affected by modulations in temperature or pressure. Electronic timers are a type of solid state timer, since they utilize solid state components, although not all solid state timers rely on electricity. Quartz timers are a highly accurate type of electronic timer that uses the frequency of an internal quartz crystal oscillator and a digital counter to provide a precise time reading. Software timers also exist in embedded systems; these timers are essentially a string of encoded system instructions that, when performed, generate a timing action.