Quartz resonator: operating principle and field of application

Since the invention of the frequency generator has passed a lot of time. Developers have faced many problems along the way. The goal of the designers of the whole planet was to create a generator that would be able to produce a stable frequency at the output. It is on it that the work of digital devices is based : computers, microprocessors, quartz clocks, etc. Getting a stable frequency that does not depend on parameters such as temperature or running time meant a breakthrough in the construction of electronic circuits and the ability to design new electronic devices. The situation changed radically from the moment when the quartz resonator appeared. This small compact device allows "miracles" in electronics.

The circuit solutions in which the quartz resonator began to be used turned out to be so successful that this device became firmly in the category of the most demanded in the design and development of electronic circuits. With the development of digital devices, there is a steady tendency to use a quartz resonator more and more. The principle of operation is quite simple and is based on the inverse piezoelectric effect. In other words, if an alternating voltage is applied to its output, it will lead to a phase shift, since when the half-wave falls, the device begins to give up the stored mechanical energy. This effect was noticed by the developers of this amazing element.

Each crystal from which a quartz resonator is made has its own mechanical properties. They in turn affect the parameter, such as the frequency of the device. Let's imagine that with an uncomplicated scheme we simulate the conditions under which the device will work. Begin to gradually increase the frequency. At a certain point, we will achieve a certain phase shift between the supply voltage and the quartz that is delivered. With increasing frequency, we will be able to introduce a circuit into resonance - in fact, hence the origin of the name of the device itself.

Miniature devices based on resonators are widely used in radio electronics. A good example of this can serve as measuring microprobe, heterodyne. With their help, stable and reliable devices have appeared. In the popular game "hunting for foxes" devices based on these elements are used.

All known quartz watches contain a quartz resonator, which is a stable source of pulses. By counting these pulses, it is possible to generate a second signal, which is necessary for the operation of this device known all over the world.

Modern electronics can not refuse to use this amazing device. I wonder how your computer would work if the pulse generator of the reference frequency in the processor suddenly began to produce an unstable frequency? This would lead to malfunctioning of the entire system, and, most likely, to its hanging.

The so-called quartz resonator is the "heart" of almost any digital device. Without it, the computer or laptop will stop working, there will be no Internet and mobile communications.

It is also worth noting that the development of these devices follows the path of minimizing the size and increasing the operating frequency.