Digitally compensated TCXO with low phase noise characteristics

Quartz oscillators are affected by different types of noise in accordance with the power law model of power spectral density. Phase noise level of a digitally compensated TCXO is strongly degraded due to the numerical system of compensation. The requirements of high stability, low power consumption and low phase noise oscillators have strongly increased in the last couple of years. The publication explains which such parameters must be taken into account and the methods to reduce the noise induced by each of these parameters (quartz design, layout design, component choice, electrical drawing). The aim of this analysis is to provide a new high performance oscillator for SATCOM applications and low phase noise instrumentation equipment. The main factors of the specification are stability of ±0.2 ppm over -30°C to +75°C, low ageing of 1.5 ppm over 10 years and a floor phase noise level of -150 dBc/Hz and -10⁵ dBc/Hz at 10 Hz. The principal target is to reinforce digitally compensated technology potentially cheaper high performance oscillators compared to those built in ASIC due to the lower cost of investment and a higher flexibility in component choice