Cover story
Quartz technology powering modern connectivity
By Wendy Stewart, Offi ce Manager, Geyer Electronic UK and Dipl-Ing Daphne Popescu, Product and Sales Manager, Geyer Electronic GmbH
C
onnectivity and communication have advanced at speed over the last few decades. Copper telecommunications cable networks, that were familiar
to us in the 1970s and 1980s, have evolved through HDSL (High-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line) and ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) data communication to today’s vast selection of connectivity protocols. The transfer of voice, data and graphics is now enabled through an ever-increasing array of methods connecting our personal networks to the wider web. Local WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network) networks connect devices in our homes, buildings, factories and hospitals, using Bluetooth alongside USB, LAN or Wi-Fi connections. Bluetooth is integral to our smart devices, providing IoT connection to the wider network via mobile phones and computer systems. Bluetooth frequencies are multiples of 8MHz, with 32MHz now generally used to provide the precise RF reference required for reliable Bluetooth connectivity in IoT, wearable and industrial wireless devices whilst accommodating the ultra-miniature component size requirement that modern Bluetooth devices demand. A Bluetooth device uses a 32MHz fundamental mode
crystal to provide BLE communication and MCU timing for the main RF system and processor clock; see Figure 1. Other parameters are typically an 8-12pF load capacitance, frequency tolerance and temperature stability of ±10ppm or ±20ppm, and a 2016 or 1612 package. It generally works alongside a 32.768kHz tuning-fork crystal to provide the low-power RTC (real time clock) sleep timing of the device. Bluetooth audio devices’ crystals have the added requirement of low-jitter for stable wireless audio transmission. Wi-Fi connectivity distributes data from our devices
between various systems via personal and business WLAN networks, without cables and hard wires. There are two main frequency bands for Wi-Fi: the original 2.4GHz for broader coverage at slower speeds, and the recent and now more commonly used 5GHz or 6GHz at faster speeds over shorter distances with less interference. High-stability quartz crystals provide the low-noise reference essential for reliable Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. They typically use 26MHz, 38.4MHz, 40MHz or 52MHz frequencies in a 2016 or 3225 package (Geyer KX-5 or KX-7), to provide the precise reference clock for the RF transceiver or PLL synthesizer that generates the fi nal Wi-Fi carrier
06 June 2026
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
frequency; see Figure 2. A dual-band or tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router will use a 40MHz crystal as the reference clock for the RF synthesizer and baseband processor. In healthcare and similar environments where data systems
require security, speed and reliability, wired Ethernet connectivity is the preferred method, offering a LAN network to monitor, distribute and share information. These systems require reliable quartz timing to enable secure, high-speed Ethernet connectivity for critical medical and hospital systems, providing fast and secure data transfer of sensitive information and stable operation of life-supporting machinery. A common frequency here is 25MHz, where a crystal could be used as the Ethernet PHY reference clock connecting bedside monitors via an Ethernet LAN. Equally, a 25MHz quartz oscillator could be used as a clock reference for Ethernet switching ICs and high-speed data traffic synchronisation in a managed Ethernet switch network.
Safe storing and usage of information Whilst previously we would probably have kept our information on a local device, storage in remote data centres has now become the norm. Existing satellite and cable telecommunication systems are used to connect with international networks to send information from local devices to remote centres. Frequency components are essential to the technology found in the telecommunications’ base stations, using high quality special oscillators in frequencies from 450MHz upwards. Advanced quartz timing enables stable, low- noise synchronization in these applicatons. Connectivity is required for more than just communication;
see Figure 3. It enables smart cities to operate, monitoring the transport networks to keep them moving. It offers automatic number plate recognition to make cities safer, GNSS/GPS for navigation and location identifi cation, and constant transmission of information in real time for automotive sensor and infotainment systems. All these systems connect through the mobile Internet, using LTE, 4G, 5G or, more recently, 6G, and even microwave technology. Links gather the data at a central point before sending it back to a hub, typically via a local dedicated fi bre cable network. Frequency components are an essential part of this system too, with precision quartz timing enabling reliable connectivity, synchronization and communication across smart city infrastructure.
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