Crystal oscillator

An electronic oscillator that uses a vibrating piezoelectric crystal to produce a stable frequency signal. Its high resonant quality makes it more frequency-stable than ordinary resonant circuits.

Piezoelectricity: The coupling between mechanical stress and electrical polarization in certain materials. An applied voltage makes the crystal deform, while its vibration generates an electrical signal.
Frequency: The number of repetitions of a periodic event per unit time. A crystal oscillator is specified chiefly by the frequency of its output.
Real-time clock: An electronic clock circuit that tracks wall-clock time, often while a device is powered down. A low-power crystal oscillator commonly provides its one-second timing reference.
LC oscillator: An electronic oscillator whose resonant frequency is set mainly by an inductor and capacitor. LC oscillators are tunable, but their frequency is generally less stable than a crystal’s.
Quartz clock: A clock that uses a quartz resonator to regulate the timing of its timekeeping circuit. Crystal oscillators made compact, accurate quartz timekeeping practical.
Quartz: A crystalline mineral composed of silicon dioxide, with piezoelectric properties in suitable crystal orientations. Quartz is the material most commonly used to set oscillator frequency.
Phase-locked loop: A feedback system that adjusts an oscillator to maintain a phase or frequency relationship with a reference signal. A crystal often supplies the reference that stabilizes a PLL’s output.
Microcontroller: An integrated circuit containing a processor, memory, and peripherals for embedded control. A crystal oscillator can provide a precise operating clock for its processor and peripherals.
Ceramic resonator: A piezoelectric ceramic component used as a resonator in electronic oscillator circuits. It offers a lower-cost alternative to quartz, usually with lower frequency accuracy.
Network time protocol: A protocol for synchronizing computer clocks across packet-switched networks. Accurate local clock references support reliable network timekeeping.

Linked from 11 pages