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Clock circuit

Torch clock (3 torches)

Explain why an odd ring of inverters cannot hold a consistent value.

7 × 5 footprint1 layer20 blocksTested in 4 rotationsJava Edition 26.2
Open in the simulatorBuild it in the game

Layout

Layer 0 (on the floor)
stone at x 0, z 0redstone torch (on a wall) [facing=east] at x 1, z 0redstone dust at x 2, z 0redstone dust at x 3, z 0stone at x 4, z 0redstone torch (on a wall) [facing=east] at x 5, z 0redstone dust at x 6, z 0redstone dust at x 6, z 1redstone dust at x 6, z 2stone at x 6, z 3redstone torch (on a wall) [facing=south] at x 6, z 4redstone dust at x 5, z 4redstone dust at x 4, z 4redstone dust at x 3, z 4redstone dust at x 2, z 4redstone dust at x 1, z 4redstone dust at x 0, z 4redstone dust at x 0, z 3redstone dust at x 0, z 2redstone dust at x 0, z 1
redstone dustredstone torchsolid blockarrows point where a device sends its output; north is up

How it works

Three inverters in a ring produce a repeating signal: 6 game ticks high and 6 low after startup. This is a torch implementation of an oscillator.

  1. Each torch inverts the state arriving from the previous stage.
  2. An odd number of inversions demands that the returning signal disagree with itself, so changes continue around the ring.

Timing

Measured at the output: a period of 12 game ticks (0.60 s), 6 ticks high and 6 low, repeating for the 600 ticks the test watches.

Inputs and outputs

  • Outputdust that never settles (x 2, y 0, z 0)

Blocks you need

14 × redstone dust, 3 × stone, 3 × redstone torch (on a wall).

Build it in the game: 20 commands

Relative to where you stand, with x running east and z running south. Paste one line at a time into chat, or into a chain of command blocks. The block art is the game's own; the layout is what the page above shows.

setblock ~0 ~0 ~0 minecraft:stone
setblock ~1 ~0 ~0 minecraft:redstone_wall_torch[facing=east]
setblock ~2 ~0 ~0 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~3 ~0 ~0 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~4 ~0 ~0 minecraft:stone
setblock ~5 ~0 ~0 minecraft:redstone_wall_torch[facing=east]
setblock ~6 ~0 ~0 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~6 ~0 ~1 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~6 ~0 ~2 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~6 ~0 ~3 minecraft:stone
setblock ~6 ~0 ~4 minecraft:redstone_wall_torch[facing=south]
setblock ~5 ~0 ~4 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~4 ~0 ~4 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~3 ~0 ~4 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~2 ~0 ~4 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~1 ~0 ~4 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~0 ~0 ~4 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~0 ~0 ~3 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~0 ~0 ~2 minecraft:redstone_wire
setblock ~0 ~0 ~1 minecraft:redstone_wire