Inside Frequency Control

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?

The #1 Most Critical Factor in High-End Radar & Communication Systems: Low Phase Noise

Phase noise, phase noise, phase noise.

If you’re involved with the design and implementation of communication systems, you most likely hear the term “phase noise” all the time (maybe more times than you’d like). 

There’s a good reason for all this phase noise chat. It’s one of the key factors that determines the overall success or failure of your radar or communications application. It’s even more important in intense environments where strong vibration or g-force is a concern.

Why is maintaining low phase noise such a concern in these applications and environments? And how can you solve the problems associated with the effects of phase noise? By the end of this article, you'll know why and how you should decrease phase noise in your applications.

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

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. 

What's better than a crystal oscillator? A crystal oscillator combined with electronic frequency control (EFC)!

Of course, determining if EFC would be a good addition to your crystal oscillator circuit design (and if so, which method is best for you) comes down to your specific application and its requirements.

There are four options to choose from when selecting an electronic frequency control method for your crystal oscillator:

1. Pulse width modulation (PWM) & low-pass filter (LPF)
2. Reference RF signal & phase locked loop (PLL)
3. Voltage divide
4. Digital-to-analog converter (DAC)

In this post,  we'll take a closer look at each option and their best applications.

Inside every quartz oscillator is something called a crystal blank. The crystal blank is the resonating element of the oscillator that, when subjected to a voltage potential, will begin to vibrate and oscillate at its fundamental frequency.

The way the crystal blank is manufactured can have a significant impact on the oscillator's performance. In this blog, we'll be discussing how the orientation of the quartz when the crystal blank is cut can affect how your oscillator performs.