Quartz Crystal Oscillators

Energy-Efficient Solutions for Medical Device Design, Transportation Applications and More

Quartz crystals have long been used in electronic applications thanks to their tight frequency stabilities and versatility when it comes to incorporating passive components into a circuit board. While ECS Inc. offers a wide variety of crystal products and other timing solutions, by far some of our most sought-after components are our quartz crystal oscillators.

Quartz crystal oscillators are a drop-in, complete timing circuit. As mentioned previously, they offer excellent frequency tolerance and stability over the required temperature range while maintaining low jitter and phase noise. These passive components are optimized for performance and suit a wide variety of circuit designs and applications.

When it comes to incorporating crystal oscillators into your design application, there are a number of advantages to doing so, which we’ve highlighted below.

Unsurpassed frequency stability
We’ve said it already, but we cannot say enough about the stability and accuracy of crystal oscillators. While you can achieve a certain level of accuracy with traditional LC and RC circuits, there is still a limit to the stability you can expect. Since a crystal’s frequency stability is inherent to the crystal itself, you can already expect a heightened level of accuracy just by choosing crystal components for your design.

High Q
Crystal oscillators also offer an exceptional quality factor, or high Q. In short, quartz crystal oscillators are slower to die out, and can maintain their accurate frequency stability over longer periods of time when compared to their more traditional counterparts.

Versatile customization options
Because the frequency stability is inherent to the crystal itself, you can cut the crystal to a certain size, and at certain angles, to achieve a precise, unchanging frequency and optimize it for other factors, such as temperature fluctuations.

Low phase noise
Particularly in the telecommunications industry, phase noise is a critical consideration to any circuit design. Higher phase noise can result in a muddy signal. Since crystals primarily vibrate on one axis, only one phase is dominant, greatly reducing the overall phase noise.

Small size, big savings
Crystal oscillators are some of the most compact and inexpensive components in any design. This, combined with all the above-mentioned advantages, make crystal oscillators an excellent choice for a wide variety of applications.

Here at ECS Inc., we pride ourselves on manufacturing some of the best passive components and timing solutions in the industry. Our crystal components are available in fixed or configurable frequency XOs, VCXOs and TCXOs, with frequencies up to 1.5GHz and stabilities as low as ±10 ppm. They are available in industry-standard circuit packages that are as small as 2.0 x 1.6 mm. Whether you need a simple reference clock, or you’re developing a mission-critical electronics system, we have the right oscillators to support your needs.

Click on the quartz oscillator product categories below to learn more about each component.

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Quartz Crystal Oscillators was last modified: June 5th, 2023 by Abbie Raphael

Oscillators – Surface Mount

Surface mount (SMD) oscillators from ECS Inc. are offered in an industry-leading variety of performance options and configurations, including CMOS, HCMOS, LVDS and LVPECL. This timing solution features silicon hybrid clock oscillators and quartz-based oscillators that can create a hyper-precise electronic signal frequency. Additionally, the hybrid clock oscillator from ECS Inc. incorporates state-of-the-art technology combined with precision quartz crystal resonators to create a cost-effective solution with high reliability.

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Oscillators – Through Hole

ECS Inc. through hole oscillators are offered as a silicon hybrid clock oscillator or a quartz-based oscillator, providing a wide range of performance options for applications that have yet to migrate to surface mount technology. Through hole oscillators come in LVPECL and HCMOS output types with frequencies ranging from 0.25 MHz ~ 150 MHz.

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Oscillators – AEC-Q200 Qualified

All AEC-Q200 qualified quartz oscillators from ECS Inc. are IATF 16949. Ideal for automotive, medical and industrial markets, AEC-Q200 qualified oscillators are available in a wide range of frequencies with wide operating temperatures and can operate in the harshest of environments.

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Oscillators - MultiVolt™️

The MultiVolt™️ series of oscillators from ECS Inc. is one of the most advanced frequency control solutions in the global market. This quartz-based series of oscillators outperforms traditional MEMS and SAW based oscillators by providing better phase noise and jitter at a lower price point. They also provide versatility by being able to operate over a wider variable or fixed voltage range. The ECS Inc. MultiVolt™️ oscillator series comes in a range of industry standard packages and can operate across several different supply voltages.

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Oscillators – VCXO

Voltage controlled crystal oscillators (VCXO) from ECS Inc. offer APR (absolute pull range), are capable of tight stabilities and provide very good phase noise. VCXOs are critical to the function of discrete phase-locked loops and can be supplied through ECS Inc. in a through hole or surface mount (SMD) package. Available in several voltages, output options and range of frequencies, the VCXO is one of the most versatile timing solutions offered by ECS Inc.

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Oscillators – TCXO

Temperature compensated crystal oscillators (TCXO) from ECS Inc. continuously monitor temperature and will adjust their output frequency to maintain tight stabilities, enabling them to offer industry-leading stable clocking over the rated temperature range. Available in both through hole and surface mount (SMD) packaging, TCXOs are ideal for applications such as Wi-Fi, wireless, GPS and more.

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Oscillators – OCXO

Oven controlled crystal oscillators (OCXO) from ECS Inc. can keep quartz crystal and oscillator circuits at a consistent temperature by utilizing an internal heating element, which provides a highly stable PPB (parts per billion) clean clocking source. What makes the OCXO from ECS Inc. distinct is it features an SC cut high “Q” crystal. Considering its hyper-accurate timing, it is the ideal frequency control solution for applications like data communications, telecommunications, cellular base stations and more.

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Oscillators – ECSpressCON

The ECSpressCON configurable clock oscillator is an ECS Inc. exclusive frequency control solution that leads the industry as the world’s most configurable oscillator. In fact, it addresses more than 95% of today’s clock oscillator requirements. Available in TCXO, VCXO and XO, the ECSpressCON configurable clock oscillator comes in a supply voltage of 2.5V or 3.3V with an extremely low phase jitter of 1.0 ps.

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Oscillators – Programmable

When it is too inconvenient or not possible to wait for custom quartz, SAW or MEMS oscillators or a resonator to be engineered for a specific application, programmable oscillators circumvent the issue. This programmable silicon clock can be easily configured to your application’s exact specifications within minutes.

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Oscillator Resources
Discover how ECS Inc. oscillators fit into your project. Explore our extensive resource library, which provides important information about each of our products. And if you still have questions, feel free to contact ECS Inc.’s team of oscillator experts.

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