Inside Frequency Control

We’re often asked if it’s wise to purchase crystal oscillators in large batches, especially when commodity managers are aware all the oscillators might not be used right away. 

By nature, crystal oscillators are made of natural quartz material, which gives them a very long shelf life. In this article, we’ll take a look at why that is and how the stability of crystal oscillators gives them an indefinite shelf life.

“Good things come to those who wait,” as the saying goes, and while aging is a part of all life cycles, crystals shouldn’t age prematurely. The careful production stages and the time it takes to complete them are necessary to the efficient operation of OCXOs. 

One of the key things you need to know before purchasing a crystal oscillator is the expected cost. There are many specifications that can quickly drive up (or down) the costs of OCXOs and other crystal oscillators. In this post, you'll learn the top eight cost drivers for crystal oscillators ranked from most to least impactful.

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

Have you noticed how difficult it seems to find transparent pricing for frequency control & crystal oscillator components? If so, you're not wrong. Traditionally, it has been difficult to find quick, standard pricing for all things frequency control. Instead, you're basically forced to go through the long quoting process to even get an idea of expected pricing. So why is this? In this post I'm going to explain why OCXO oscillator pricing has been traditionally hard to find, and how Bliley's innovative pricing approach will make your procurement process so much easier.

Also, be sure to check out our OCXO immediate pricing guide at the end of this post!

The Secret to Low Phase Noise?
The Poseidon 2 Low Phase Noise Oscillator!

Bliley’s Poseidon 2 Low Phase Noise OCXO Oscillator offers the world's best low phase noise performance when subjected to dynamic random vibration conditions.  It's designed for demanding vibration and low g environments with its acceleration sensitivity as low as 0.007 PPB/G for all 3 axis of vibration.

This low phase noise oscillator is well suited for:

• Ground Mobile
• Airborne
• Radar & Communication Systems
• Shipboard Environments
• Any applications requiring ultra low phase noise  or low g performance out to 1MHz offset

We sat down with our very own Greg Rogers, VP of Product Engineering, at IMS 2017 this year to give you an up-close and personal experience with Greg and, more importantly, our low g-sensitivity crystal oscillators

Bliley Technologies online store is the newest, most powerful tool to quickly shop high-performance OCXO oscillators at amazing prices.

In this post, I'm going to show you 7 powerful features on the online store that will help you

• Quickly find the best OCXO oscillator for your needs
• Find the best cost/performance ratio on the market
• Get lightning fast lead times on all in-stock parts (receive your order within days!)
• Get the most cost savings possible (access real-time price breaks)
• And more

The most common types of crystal oscillators in the world of electrical & RF engineering include OCXO, VCXO, clock oscillators, and (you guessed it) TCXO oscillators. If you're reading this post, you must want to learn more about temperature compensated crystal oscillators (TCXO). Let's dive in and learn the basics of TCXO oscillators.

Introducing the TCXO (Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator)

The TCXO, Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator (Xtal oscillator), is a form of crystal oscillator used where a precision frequency source is required within a small space and at a reasonable cost.

By applying temperature compensation within the quartz crystal oscillator module, it is possible to considerably improve on the basic performance of the crystal.

In view of their usefulness, a wide range is available from many suppliers in a whole variety of packages and mounts (surface, through-hole). Some TCXOs are compatible with the dual in line format used for many through hole mounted integrated circuits.

The crystal oscillator purchasing process can be a headache if you don't know what to expect. However, learning the basics of procuring frequency control devices can help you to plan accordingly and decrease your frustration. We'll keep this one short and to the point.