Inside Frequency Control

Back in 2016, we wrote one of our most popular posts covering 12 popular Software Defined Radios or SDRs.  While the previous post still holds some extremely valuable information, a lot has changed... especially the technology related to SDR. So we thought it was time for an update.

Like last time, we tried to include as much diversity in terms of prices, applications, frequencies, and ease of use.  Our hope is the perfect software defined radio for your application is on this list. 

The most important thing a soldier must maintain on the battlefield is Situational Awareness: being able to identify and understand what is happening around you and how it pertains to the mission. Over the past few decades, Global Positioning System (or GPS navigation technology) has become an integral tool for helping US forces stay aware of their surroundings. Now, new Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology is helping to enhance traditional GPS timing in many ways. Time to explore further!

From smartphones to satellite service, GPS and more, RF technology is a feature of modern life that is so ubiquitous that many of us simply take it for granted.

Radio frequency engineering continues to help drive the world across many applications in both the public and private sectors. But technology advances so fast, it’s sometimes hard to predict what the world will look like in just a few years. Back in 2000, how many people outside the industry would have guessed that within 10 years, they’d be watching streaming videos on their phone?

According to Statista,  there is a projected 30 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices to be connected by 2020. That would be over a 400% increase in connected IoT devices from 2014. Most of these IoT devices will need to be connected through at least one type of wireless radio frequency (RF) communication.

Is your electronics lab in need of an upgrade? It's important to keep your equipment up to date with the latest and greatest technology to keep getting the best results (and therefore a more effective product). In this post, we're going to look at 6 spectrum analyzers that will work (and look) great in your lab. 

Quartz crystal oscillators are the high and mighty option for low phase noise and added frequency stability in circuit design. Yes, simple oscillators like those made with resistor-capacitor (RC) or inductor-capacitor (IC) resonators are fine for some circuits. But if you're dealing with higher performance applications in aerospace, military, and space industries... you're going to want a higher performance crystal oscillator that can maintain low phase noise & strong stability. Otherwise, you'll risk deviating from the very specific (and many times critical) center frequency selected for your design.

Hi there! You must be looking to upgrade your engineering electronics lab with the latest and greatest test equipment on the market today. Well good news...this is the place to be! Cool engineers only please...meaning all of you.

The harsh truth is, selecting the wrong quartz crystal oscillator can quickly kill any design. With the wide variety of options and specs available in the market today, selecting the perfect crystal oscillator for your design can be a difficult and time consuming task.

We'll be honest, crystal oscillators aren't the easiest topic to understand. That's mostly because there's a wide variety of crystal oscillator types that do different things, in different ways, for different purposes. This is largely due to the almost endless application uses. From satellite communications in space, to military & defense, to telecom and more... there's so many different needs for crystal oscillators. 

In this post we'll cover the most common types of crystal oscillator which include

• Oven controlled crystal oscillators (OCXO)
• Temperature compensated oscillators (TCXO)
• Voltage controlled oscillators (VCXO)
• Clock oscillators (XO)
• And some other key types within each category

I know it sounds like a lot to cover, but don't worry! We're about to make things a whole lot easier for you. By the end of this post you'll learn the basic uses, advantages, and limitations of each crystal oscillator type.

One of the key things you need to know before purchasing a crystal oscillator is expected costs. There are multiple ways and specifications that can quickly drive up (and down) the costs of OCXOs and other crystal oscillators. In this post, you'll learn the top 8 cost drivers for crystal oscillators in order of most influential to least influential.

By the end of this post you'll have a much better idea of where to focus your cost-cutting efforts and to save the most in the long-term. Much of it just depends on your specific application and needs and where you're able to be more flexible.

Note: Oscillator pricing is very dependent on your specific needs and application. Be sure to contact us for specific information and pricing based on your needs.