Crystal oven

{{Short description|Temperature-controlled chamber for a quartz crystal}}

A crystal oven is a temperature-controlled chamber used to maintain the quartz crystal in electronic crystal oscillators at a constant temperature, in order to prevent changes in the frequency due to variations in ambient temperature. An oscillator of this type is known as an oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO, where "XO" is an old abbreviation for "crystal oscillator"). This type of oscillator achieves the highest frequency stability possible with a crystal. They are typically used to control the frequency of radio transmitters, cellular base stations, military communications equipment, and for precision frequency measurement.

Description

Quartz crystals are widely used in electronic oscillators to precisely control the frequency produced. The frequency at which a quartz crystal resonator vibrates depends on its physical dimensions. A change in temperature causes the quartz to expand or contract due to thermal expansion, changing the frequency of the signal produced by the oscillator. Although quartz has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, temperature changes are still the major cause of frequency variation in crystal oscillators.

File:Vectron OX-402 OCXO.jpg-mounted OCXO from 2016]]

The oven is a thermally insulated enclosure containing the crystal and one or more electrical heating elements. Since other electronic components in the circuit are also vulnerable to temperature drift, usually the entire oscillator circuit is enclosed in the oven. A thermistor temperature sensor in a closed-loop control circuit is used to control the power to the heater and ensure that the oven is maintained at the precise temperature desired. Because the oven operates above ambient temperature, the oscillator usually requires a warm-up period after power has been applied to reach its operating temperature.{{cite web

| title = OCXO

| website = Glossary

| publisher = Time and Frequency Division, NIST

| year = 2008

| url = http://tf.nist.gov/general/enc-no.htm#ocxo

| access-date = 2008-08-07

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080915112757/http://tf.nist.gov/general/enc-no.htm#ocxo

| archive-date = 2008-09-15

| url-status = dead

}} During this warm-up period, the frequency will not have the full rated stability.

The temperature selected for the oven is that at which the slope of the crystal's frequency vs. temperature curve is zero, further improving stability. AT- or SC-cut (stress-compensated) crystals are used. The SC-cut has a wider temperature range over which near-zero temperature coefficient is achieved and thus reduces warmup time.{{cite conference

| first = Frerking

| last = Marvin E.

| title = Fifty years of progress in quartz crystal frequency standards

| book-title = Proc. 1996 IEEE Frequency Control Symposium

| pages = 33–46

| publisher = Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

| year = 1996

| url = http://www.ieee-uffc.org/main/history.asp?file=frerking

| access-date = 2009-03-31

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090512022233/http://www.ieee-uffc.org/main/history.asp?file=frerking

| archive-date = 2009-05-12

| url-status = dead

}} Power transistors are usually used for the heaters instead of resistance heating elements. Their power output is proportional to the current, rather than the square of the current, which linearizes the gain of the control loop.

A common temperature for a crystal oven is {{nowrap|75 °C}},{{cite web |title=Temperature Controller for Crystal Oven | publisher = Free Circuit Diagram |url=http://freecircuitdiagram.com/2009/05/02/temperature-controller-for-crystal-oven/ |access-date=2009-11-17 |website=freecircuitdiagram.com| date = 2 May 2009 }} but the temperature may vary between {{nowrap|30 and 80 °C}} depending on setup.{{cite web |title=Oven for Nonlinear Crystals TK7 |url=http://www.eksmaoptics.com/en/p/oven-for-nonlinear-crystals-tk7-24519 |access-date=2009-11-17 |website=EKSMA OPTICS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618143518/http://www.eksmaoptics.com/en/p/oven-for-nonlinear-crystals-tk7-24519 |archive-date=2012-06-18 |url-status=dead}}

Most standard commercial crystals are specified to an environmental temperature of {{nowrap|0–70 °C}}, industrial versions are usually specified to {{nowrap|−40 to +85 °C}}.{{cite web |title=IQXO-350, -350I Commercial Oscillator |url=http://www.surplectronics.com/%5Cdatasheets%5Ciqsd350.pdf |access-date=2009-11-18 |website=surplectronics.com |archive-date=2012-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330154042/http://www.surplectronics.com/%5Cdatasheets%5Ciqsd350.pdf |url-status=dead}}

Stability

Image:Early NBS crystal oscillator frequency standards.jpg) served as the frequency standard for the United States in 1929.]]

Because of the power required to run the heater, OCXOs require more power than oscillators that run at ambient temperature, and the requirement for the heater, thermal mass, and thermal insulation means that they are physically larger. Therefore, they are not used in battery-powered or miniature applications, such as watches. However, in return, the oven-controlled oscillator achieves the best frequency stability possible from a crystal. The short-term frequency stability of OCXOs is typically 1{{e|−12}} over a few seconds, while the long-term stability is limited to around 1{{e|−8}} (10 ppb) per year by aging of the crystal. Achieving better stability requires switching to an atomic frequency standard, such as a rubidium standard, caesium standard, or hydrogen maser. Another cheaper alternative is to discipline a crystal oscillator with a GPS time signal, creating a GPS-disciplined oscillator (GPSDO). Using a GPS receiver that can generate stable time signals (down to within {{nowrap|~30 ns}} of UTC), a GPSDO can maintain oscillation stability of 10⁻¹³ for extended periods of time.

Crystal ovens are also used in optics. In crystals used for nonlinear optics, phase matching is also sensitive to temperature, and thus they require temperature stabilization, especially as the laser beam heats up the crystal. Additionally fast retuning of the crystal is often employed. For this application, the crystal and the thermistor need to be in very close contact and both must have as low a heat capacity as possible. To avoid breaking the crystal, large temperature variations in short times must be avoided.

=Comparison with other frequency standards=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;"

!align=left| Oscillator type*

!align=left| Stability**

!align=left| Aging / 10 year

!align=left| Power

!align=left| Mass (g)

align=left| Crystal oscillator (XO)

| {{ntsh|00010000000}} 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻⁴

| {{ntsh|0000200000000}} 10...20 ppm

| {{ntsh|000020}} 20 μW

| {{ntsh|20}} 20

align=left| Temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO)

| {{ntsh|00000100000}} 10⁻⁶

| {{ntsh|0000050000000}} 2...5 ppm

| {{ntsh|000100}} 100 μW

| {{ntsh|50}} 50

align=left| Microcomputer-compensated crystal oscillator (MCXO)

| {{ntsh|00000010000}} 10⁻⁸ to 10⁻⁷

| {{ntsh|0000030000000}} 1...3 ppm

| {{ntsh|000200}} 200 μW

| {{ntsh|100}} 100

align=left| Oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO)

{{nowrap|5...10 MHz}}
{{nowrap|15...100 MHz}}

| {{ntsh|00000050000}}
{{nowrap|2 × 10⁻⁸}}
{{nowrap|5 × 10⁻⁷}}

| {{ntsh|0000002000000}}
{{nowrap|2 × 10⁻⁸ to 2 × 10⁻⁷}}
{{nowrap|2 × 10⁻⁶ to 11 × 10⁻⁹}}

| {{ntsh|2000000}}
{{nowrap|1...3 W}}

| {{ntsh|350}}
{{nowrap|200...500}}

align=left| Rubidium atomic frequency standard (RbXO)

| {{ntsh|00000000100}} 10⁻⁹

| {{ntsh|0000000050000}} 5 × 10⁻¹⁰ to 5 × 10⁻⁹

| {{ntsh|9000000}} {{nowrap|6...12 W}}

| {{ntsh|2000}} {{nowrap|1500...2500}}

align=left| Caesium atomic frequency standard{{cite web|title=Tutorial Precision Frequency Generation Utilizing OCXO and Rubidium Atomic Standards with Applications for Commercial, Space, Military, and Challenging Environments IEEE Long Island Chapter March 18, 2004|url=http://www.ieee.li/pdf/viewgraphs/precision_frequency_generation.pdf|access-date=2009-11-16|website=ieee.li}}

| {{ntsh|00000000001}} {{nowrap|10⁻¹² to 10⁻¹¹}}

| {{ntsh|0000000000100}} 10⁻¹² to 10⁻¹¹

| {{ntsh|32500000}} {{nowrap|25...40 W}}

| {{ntsh|15000}} {{nowrap|10000...20000}}

align=left| Global Positioning System (GPS){{cite web|title=Time and Frequency - Precisely the Way You Need It|url=http://www.spectruminstruments.net/tm3specs.pdf|access-date=2009-11-18|website=spectruminstruments.net}}{{cite web|title=GPS Time and Frequency Reference Receiver|url=http://www.leapsecond.com/museum/hp58540a/ds-58540a.pdf|access-date=2009-11-18|website=leapsecond.com}}

| {{ntsh|00000004000}} {{nowrap|4 × 10⁻⁸ to 10⁻¹¹}}

| {{ntsh|0000000000001}} {{nowrap|10⁻¹³}}

| {{ntsh|4000000}} {{nowrap|4 W}}

| {{ntsh|340}} {{nowrap|340}}

align=left| Radio time signal (DCF77){{cite web|title=URSI/IEEE XXIX Convention on Radio Science, Espoo, Finland, November 1-2, 2004|url=http://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/symposiums/2004/S235.pdf|access-date=2009-11-18|website=vtt.fi}}{{cite web|title=ETH - IfE-Wearable Computing - Miniature pocket-worn motion sensor with DCF77 clock|url=http://www.wearable.ethz.ch/education/sada/summer07_DCF77|access-date=2009-11-18|website=wearable.ethz.ch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706232101/http://www.wearable.ethz.ch/education/sada/summer07_DCF77|archive-date=2011-07-06|url-status=dead}}

| {{ntsh|01000000000}}

| {{ntsh|0000000000004}} {{nowrap|4 × 10⁻¹³}}

| {{ntsh|4600000}} —

| {{ntsh|87}} {{nowrap|87}}

^{* Sizes and costs range from {{nowrap|<5 cm³}} and {{nowrap|<5 USD}} for crystal oscillators, to more than 30 liters and {{nowrap|40 000 USD}} for Cs standards.}

^{** Including the effects of military environments and one year of aging.}

References

External links

[http://www.febo.com/pages/stability/ febo.com - Frequency Stability and Accuracy in the Real World]

Category:Electronic oscillators

Category:Laser applications