Feature: Webinar
From industry to wearables: Implications for quartz crystal design
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volution in the marketplace, with increased demand for health awareness, fitness applications and connected systems, has led to short-term, fast turnaround designs that change rapidly. Compared to older product designs, smart applications require improved precision and stability alongside lower
power consumption. For crystal manufacturers this means that support for the older components continues alongside the design of new ones. We see designs move to TCXOs despite the higher cost of the component. Whilst a crystal offers ±10-50ppm stability over temperature, a TCXO achieves ±0.5/1.0ppm and may be a better option in applications where maintaining low driſt over temperature is essential. Tis increased demand is leading to lower pricing, making business-case/cost-comparison more attractive.
Modern systems require connectivity On a basic level, a standalone device, for example a coffee machine, would traditionally have required only temperature control and perhaps clock programming systems. New, ‘smart’ environments require integration/interconnection of different systems into a network and there are two options to consider: 1. When updating an existing design, does the systems allow for any expansion?
2. For a new design, should it allow for immediate interconnection to other devices, or for integration to be added later? For more demanding applications like smart metering,
where low tolerance and low driſt over a long period of time are paramount, network integration and reliability, protocol compliance and interoperability play important roles. Tese applications require very stringent features from the outset, and GEYER Electronic tailors specific parameters in components for these applications.
The role of crystals Te crystal is a passive component in the circuit, which means that its part in the project is not directly relatable to the safety and security of the application. It is the end product that must comply with security demands in secure networks. Having said that, the crystal must comply with certain protocols relevant to the market or application, for example it may need AEC-Q qualification to
42 April 2026
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ensure safety in a demanding environment. Traceability, such as time stamping in a process within the application, is important and an accurate RTC will enable a good time-trace back in the network. Traceability of a different kind is key to safeguard against
‘counterfeit’ components and GEYER Electronic can trace each component back through its systems. QR and bar coding define and trace each supply from manufacture through to final delivery, allowing for any concern to easily be considered and verified through the system. A circuit test by the GEYER R&D team is also a possibility to address any concerns in the customer’s product.
How can AI be used? AI is a very wide topic, used in hardware processes, soſtware and engineering decisions. Currently we see it widely used in component searches, particularly recommending IC, crystal and capacitor partnerships where engineers consider their projects as a whole. Tis comes down to precision of information – component manufacturers must make all specifications visible to enable search engines to match products properly, and reference designs that match components to ICs are important. It should be remembered that AI is not a decision maker, it is a decision accelerator – the engineer must know how to use it effectively and verify the result themselves.
Key takeaways and advice To ensure that a design works correctly, treat the IC and crystal as a pair and not as standalone components. Reference design testing of the IC and crystal together is important to ensure compatibility. When you change a design, perhaps for a new IC generation, always re-test the IC with the existing crystal and other components, to verify the accuracy of the circuit and adapt it if necessary. Make the most of AI and simulation opportunities for your design work and always make a thorough physical board test with the help of manufacturers.
Tis piece was prepared around the webinar Electronics World run in cooperation with GEYER Electronic (
www.geyer-electronic.de/en/) on March 4th. See the webinar here:
www.electronicsworld.co.uk/
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