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A quartz crystal oscillator is a device made using the piezoelectric effect of quartz crystal. Its role is to output high-precision and highly stable pulse signals, providing the timing reference for the whole circuit. Modern circuits contain more and more sequential circuits, whose coordinated operation requires a time reference so that they act in unison — just as a special operations team synchronises their watches before setting out. The oscillator plays the role of the team leader's watch in the system: if its stability or accuracy is poor, the whole system will produce frequent errors and have a high failure rate. The oscillator is therefore called the "heart" of the board.
A quartz crystal oscillator consists of a quartz crystal resonator with a very high quality factor Q and an oscillator circuit. The crystal's quality factor, cut orientation, resonator structure and circuit configuration together determine oscillator performance. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) classifies quartz crystal oscillators into four types: simple packaged crystal oscillators (SPXO), voltage-controlled crystal oscillators (VCXO), temperature-compensated crystal oscillators (TCXO) and oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXO). Digitally compensated (DCXO) and hybrid VOCXO oscillators are also in development.
Although the high Q of quartz crystal gives the oscillator high stability and accuracy, the output is not constant: internal component parameters drift over operating time, and supply, load and temperature vary. For any oscillator, frequency instability is absolute, only differing in degree.
NTEK's performance laboratory also has deep technical experience in oscillator failure analysis, leveraging the group's platform advantages and creatively using professional analytical tools from multiple disciplines to analyse oscillators comprehensively. Testing and analysis of oscillator materials requires deep professional knowledge and technical accumulation and places very high demands on equipment; the test items and methods go far beyond those described above. NTEK has established initial oscillator testing capability and is willing to help upstream and downstream partners solve problems and jointly improve product reliability.
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