Inside Frequency Control

RF engineers are always trying to improve the performance of the systems they work on, but a perfect, 100% stable signal that never deviates from the intended frequency will probably never be attainable. The toll that the physical environment and time will take on a crystal remains a fact of life.

But that doesn’t stop us from always working towards getting as close to possible to that ideal. The effects of the physical environment and time can both be mitigated by selecting a high-quality quartz crystal oscillator. Picking the right one for the job depends on the application and other factors, like the amount of power available.

In this article, we will make the case that for those who are trying to minimize the effects of aging and improve stability without using a lot of power, a temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) might be the right solution.

GPS disciplined oscillators (GPSDOs) are becoming a necessary component for CubeSats and other small satellites (SmallSats).

GPSDOs are comprised of a Global Position System (GPS) receiver, an oven controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO), and a phased-locked loop (PLL). In this blog, you'll get a deeper look into how GPSDOs are designed to help achieve mission success for your small satellite applications.

We've seen some confusion over which timing device works best in satellite communication applications. Should you use a standard oscillator (OCXO), a GPS disciplined oscillator (GPSDO), or an atomic clock in your satellite?

The short answer is, "it depends." You'll need to choose your timing device based on on your specific needs, limitations, and operational orbit. Let's take a look at each operational orbit (LEO, MEO, and GEO) and which types of timing devices their satellites require.

What's the difference between Ka-band and Ku-band systems? In this article, we explore what they are,  what sets them apart, the advantages of each, and the design considerations you should keep in mind. 

The most common types of crystal oscillators in electrical and RF engineering include OCXOs, TCXOs, VCXOs, and clock oscillators. In this post, we'll be reviewing the basics of temperature compensated crystal oscillators (TCXOs).

Temperature variations are the most significant factor contributing to frequency drift in crystal oscillators.

Other variables that affect frequency output, such as humidity and pressure, can be alleviated easily with a hermetically sealed packaging of the crystal in a vacuum or in an inert gas, such as nitrogen. But controlling temperature for precise frequency output in a crystal oscillator circuit requires a higher level of electronic RF design ingenuity. Enter: the oven controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO).

In this post, we'll take a look at the three types of OCXOs available for RF engineers to meet individual design priorities such as frequency precision, warm-up time, crystal aging, and power consumption.

Oscillators have become indispensable in modern technology. They are the core component that makes RF engineering possible, and are crucial to cell phones, Wi-Fi, GPS, and so much more.

The modern interconnected economy and daily life as we know it would grind to a halt if crystal oscillators were not abundant, well designed, and reasonably affordable. But what determines oscillator pricing?

If you're looking for an oven controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO), my guess is you're interested in the best possible quartz crystal oscillator for your application. Who wouldn't be? 

The oven controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO) is near the top of the food chain when it comes to quartz-based frequency control devices, superseded only by the mighty double oven crystal oscillator (DOCXO).

In this blog, we'll review the basics of how an OCXO works, the terms you need to know, how to determine the turning point, and the differences between AT and SC crystal cuts. 

While GPS technology plays an important role in modern navigation, it's not perfect. Although GPS might perform well enough consumer usage, signal jamming or other disruptions present serious threats to military operations. 

Enter assured positioning, navigation, and timing (A-PNT), new technology that enhances traditional GPS timing. Assured PNT uses additional sources to augment GPS and prevent vulnerabilities. Its goal is to ensure that accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) is always available.

In this blog, we'll review GPS, its flaws, and other PNT systems (like the GNSS) and give you an overview of how assured PNT technology uses other systems to improve effectiveness.