Column: Design with frequency components


Frequency control components and their applications


In this series of tutorials, we will focus on the diff erent component types for timing, synchronization and frequency control, their basic parameters and how to best use them in various applications


By Daphne Popescu, Product and Sales Management, and Wendy Stewart, Sales and UK Offi ce Manager, GEYER Electronic


W


hat do a garage key lock, an industrial robot and a coff ee machine have in common?


Answer: Crystals and oscillators – the most important components for timing, synchronisation and frequency control. Crystals act as precise frequency references, and oscillators use them to generate stable clock or carrier signals for timing and communication in electronic systems. Today these devices are found in all types


of systems, from consumer electronics to advanced industrial machines, but it all started some 140 years ago, with the fi rst demonstration of the piezoelectric eff ect by Pierre and Jacques Curie. “Piezoelectric” is the ability of certain materials to generate electricity upon mechanical stress; “piezo” comes from the Greek “to press”.


Types and classifi cations A typical piezoelectric device is the quartz crystal, which has been evolving and changing over the years with technological advancements. T is is a passive component that requires electrical circuitry to act as an oscillator and resonate at a given frequency. On the other hand, an oscillator is an


active component that incorporates both a crystal and circuitry, and oscillates on a given frequency once powered up. T ere is a third, non-crystal, option –


a ceramic resonator – used in applications where robustness is prioritised over accuracy. T e most common component types,


along with the main application areas, are shown in Table 1.


Figure 1: Crystal oscillator equivailent circuit 12 September 2025 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


Table 1: The most common frequency control component types and their uses


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