Acceleration “G” compensated quartz crystal oscillators

High dynamic environments common to most platforms in motion such as helicopters, track-vehicles, ships, missiles and even spacecraft degrade the performance of quartz crystal oscillators. To generate the precise frequencies and time signals crucial to system performance quartz crystal oscillators and rubidium vapor atomic oscillators are commonly utilized. However quartz crystal oscillators whether stand alone or parts of traditional rubidium oscillators, exhibit degraded performance when subject to accelerating forces, i.e. sine and/or random vibrations. Although the spacecraft environment has traditionally been considered ldquovibration-free,rdquo it is increasingly clear that low level accelerations and vibrations due to reaction wheels, thrusters, etc. degrade quartz oscillator output enough to impact, in many cases, system level performance. In addition, mechanical vibrations in ground stations/gateways degrade quartz oscillator performance and greatly affect beam-forming networks for communications satellites. In this paper we shall discuss a ldquogrdquo (acceleration) compensated technology that has greatly increased the performance of quartz crystal oscillators in challenging environments. We will present data on technology break-through in two main areas (a) new methods of quartz resonator design and manufacturing that result in minimum cross-coupling between the three resonator axes and (b) new sensing devices that can be mounted and aligned in each resonator axis. In addition, we will present actual test data for oscillators performing in high ldquogrdquo environments as well as lower ldquogrdquo environments such as in spacecraft and ground stations/gateways.