OCXOs deliver ultra-low phase noise, tight stability

RFX Ltd. has released a high-performance oven controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO) family, the OS936-10 series, that delivers ultra-low phase noise for a range of communications equipment and instrumentation. The OCXOs claim close-in phase noise of 130 dBc/Hz @10 Hz and far-out phase noise as low as -178 dBc/Hz @ 100 kHz.

Phase noise in systems is an important parameter, said RFX. “Digital systems see the effect of phase noise in the time domain as jitter, [so] the lower the phase noise the lower the jitter, and communication systems see the effect of phase noise in signal bandwidth. The lower the phase noise the lower the bandwidth required, which can affect channel width.”

The standard OS936-10, available in a 36 × 26.5-mm package with a 10-mm height, is available with a supply voltage of 12 VDC and sine-wave output compatibility, which makes them suitable for a range of applications. Thanks to its flexible design, other supply voltages (3.3 VDC, 5 VDC, or 24 VDC) and output compatibilities are available to meet specific customer requirements. Typical applications include base stations, instrumentation, military communications, optical networking, radar, repeater stations, satellite test, and measurement equipment.

The OS936-10 series is available at the industry standard 10-MHz frequency. Incorporating a high-performance, noise-optimized SC-Cut crystal, the OCXO series’ short term aging over 30 days is ±0.1 ppb maximum per day and long term aging is ±50 ppb maximum per year after 30 days continuous operation.

The devices deliver a frequency stability of ±10 ppb over an operating temperature range of -40°C to 70°C. The OCXOs also incorporate an electronic trim option of ±0.5 ppm minimum (2.25 ±2.25 VDC).

The RoHS-compliant OS936-10 series meets vibration, mechanical, and thermal shock to MIL standard 202F. Samples are available from stock with 8-week lead times for production quantities.