Created by Jimmie Fouts Houston County Career Academy

for

 Define the basic oscillator circuit

Identify elements of feedback in the oscillator

Identify the conditions for oscillation to occur Identify input and output characteristics

Identify the difference between VFO and VCO

oscillators Identify common uses of the oscillator

 Oscillation: an effect that repeatedly and regularly

fluctuates about a mean value Oscillator: circuit that produces oscillation Characteristics: frequency, amplitude, distortion, wave-shape, stability

 One of the basic building blocks of electronics

Input is a direct current (DC) power source

Output is alternating current (AC) Can generate sub-audible frequencies or very high

frequencies Most oscillators are amplifiers with feedback

 Most amplifiers will oscillate when conditions are

correct
Example: Too high of a volume on public address system

= loud noise and squeals that are the result of acoustic waves traveling from the speakers to the microphone
The result is oscillation

 Practical oscillators use electrical feedback to produce

oscillation Feedback circuits use resistors, capacitors, coils, or transformers to connect a portion of the output signal back to the input of the amplifier

 Feedback alone does not promise oscillation There is always some loss in the feedback circuit Amplifier gain must be greater than this loss Feedback must be in-phase

 In-phase feedback is also called regenerative feedback

or positive feedback When the original amplifier input and output signals are not in-phase, the feedback circuit is used to reverse the phase

 Steady source of direct current (DC)

In many applications, the DC source requires a filter

 Amplitude

Frequency
Waveform type Stability

On some oscillators, the capability to change frequency

 Usually determined by the gain available from the

amplifier Supply voltage and circuit losses affect amplitude

 Frequency of operation is normally determined by the

feedback circuit Common feedback circuits used to determine oscillator frequency include:
crystals resistor and capacitor networks (RC) coil and capacitor networks (LC) {tank circuit}

 Generally, determined by:

Feedback circuitry
Output filter circuitry Amplifier gain, or Changes to input voltage

May be sinusoidal (sine wave), square wave, or

triangular wave

 Sometimes referred to as a stable oscillator

Source of a signal with consistent amplitude

Source of a signal with consistent frequency

 Oscillators sometimes have the ability to change

frequencies Crystal oscillator frequency is controlled by changing the crystal

Crystals are usually cut from quartz to generate a

specified frequency when operating

 Variable frequency oscillators (VFO) generally use a

variable resistor, coil, or capacitor in the feedback circuit Varying the value of resistance, impedance, or reactance in the circuit results in a change of the oscillator output

 Voltage controlled oscillators (VCO) utilize changes in

voltage to generate changes in the oscillator output

Typical Uses of the Oscillator

Radio and television stations require oscillators to develop the basic signal to transmit their information

Typical Uses of the Oscillator

Cell phones, electronic keyboards, and remote controls use oscillators to produce the required frequencies for

operation

Typical Uses of the Oscillator

Digital devices such as computers, watches, calculators, and iPods all require oscillators to generate the

rectangular
waveform required for operation

Typical Uses of the Oscillator

Variable oscillators, known as signal generators, are used to generate frequencies and waveforms needed

for troubleshooting
and the testing of electronic equipment