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Inside Frequency Control

Your Guide to Electronic Frequency Control Methods for Crystal Oscillators

Posted by Rob Rutkowski on Nov 21, 2023 9:00:00 AM

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.

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Topics: crystal oscillators, RF Technology

AT vs. SC-Cut Quartz Crystals: Is EFC Over-Specification Costing You?

Posted by Rob Rutkowski on Oct 12, 2023 9:00:00 AM

What if we told you that specifying more electronic frequency control (EFC) than you need could actually be hurting your company's wallet? Well, it very well may be!

Paying attention to whether your supplier is using AT-cut or SC-cut crystals will help you save money in the long run when it comes to oscillators. In this article, we'll review the difference between these two types of cuts and the impacts of EFC pull. 

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Topics: crystal oscillators, Clocks & Crystals, RF Technology

Crystal Oscillator Manufacturers & RF Technology Best Practices

Posted by Bliley Technologies on Sep 14, 2023 9:00:00 AM

These are exciting times to be working in any field of engineering, but especially in the radio frequency (RF) industry. The modern economy simply cannot function without RF technology, and as we transition into a world of ever-faster mobile service, civilian and military space-based systems, and the Internet of Things (IoT), we’ll  rely increasingly on microwave, low-frequency engineering.

With all the rapid change in the industry and advancements in RF tech, it’s going to be more important than ever to find a crystal oscillator manufacturer that follows the best practices that have guided RF engineers in the past and will continue to in the future.

In this article, we'll provide a basic overview of the RF technology best practices your crystal oscillator manufacturer should be following.

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Topics: RF Technology, general

The Secret to Low Phase Noise in Crystal Oscillator Circuits

Posted by Rob Rutkowski on Sep 12, 2023 9:00:00 AM

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 the aerospace, military, and space industries, you're going to want a higher performance crystal oscillator that can maintain low phase noise and strong stability. Otherwise, you'll risk deviating from the very specific (and usually critical) center frequency selected for your design.

In this blog, we'll discuss how to measure low phase noise and how to maintain it in your applications.

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Topics: crystal oscillators, RF Technology, Integrated RF

4 Top Factors That Influence Crystal Oscillator Frequency Stability

Posted by Bliley Technologies on Jul 25, 2023 9:00:00 AM

RF engineers would love to get their hands on an ideal crystal oscillator circuit. That is, a quartz crystal oscillator that transmits at the designated frequency for the entire life of the device without any frequency deviation. Unfortunately, that ideal circuit world is a mathematical fantasy.

There are many factors that contribute to quartz oscillator stability and frequency drift issues. To prevent these problems as much as possible, it's important to have a firm understanding of precise frequency stability. This will give you the tools to keep your applications performing optimally. But there's another problem...

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Topics: crystal oscillators, RF Technology

7 Incredibly Effective Ways to Prevent Pressure Transducer Problems

Posted by Rob Rutkowski on Jul 18, 2023 9:00:00 AM

Poor manufacturing environments can significantly reduce the performance quality of a pressure transducer. A failing pressure transducer will lead to problems with sensors and will provide inaccurate readings (or none at all).

A faulty pressure transducer can not only cause frustration and waste time, but it can also lead to unnecessary costs.

To prevent pressure transducer problems or failure from happening in the first place, let's take a look at seven pressure transducer troubleshooting methods to keep your transducers and sensors working great!

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Topics: Clocks & Crystals, RF Technology, general

The Ultimate Guide to Atomic Clocks in Space

Posted by Rob Rutkowski on Jun 21, 2023 9:00:00 AM

Do you know all about atomic clocks in space and how they work? If not, it's about TIME you do. (Haha. Ha. Ha...)

Timing is everything when it comes to GPS satellites and other space applications. Even just a one-microsecond error in timing can lead to an error of 300 meters on the ground. Because atomic clocks can maintain very precise timing, they're a great solution for GPS and other LEO satellites.

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Topics: Clocks & Crystals, RF Technology, Space & Satellites

What Are GPS Disciplined Oscillators (GPSDO)?

Posted by Bliley Technologies on Apr 27, 2023 9:00:00 AM

GPS disciplined oscillators (GPSDO) are some of today's most trusted and accurate sources of timing. These powerful devices (sometimes called GPS clocks) consist of a high-quality stable oscillator and a GPS receiver. The GPSDO works by disciplining (or steering) the oscillator output to a GPS device or GNSS satellite signal via a tracking loop.

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Topics: crystal oscillators, RF Technology, GPS & GNSS, Integrated RF, Defense & PNT

The Ultimate Guide to SAW Filters

Posted by Bliley Technologies on Apr 13, 2023 9:00:00 AM

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters offer a reduced size, weight, and cost compared to other filter technologies. There are many tradeoffs, however, that need to be considered when selecting a SAW filter for your system design.

What are SAW filters? What are some common SAW filter applications? How are SAW filters used for mobile communications? We'll answer these questions and more in this post.

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Topics: RF Technology

OCXO Lead Times Explained: How Aging Factors into OCXO Development

Posted by Bliley Technologies on Dec 5, 2022 8:00:00 AM

 

“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. 

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Topics: crystal oscillators, Clocks & Crystals, RF Technology

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