Learning the basics about Crystal Oscillators, what applications they’re being used for, and industry projections.
Crystal oscillators are one of the most common and popular timing solutions today. Spanning several industries, they are most often used in products such as microprocessors, computers, medical equipment, timepieces, receivers, radios, cell phones, transmitters, and much more. Considering the vast array of applications and products they’re used for, it’s safe to say that crystal oscillators dominate the components industry.
However, this begs the question: what is a crystal oscillator, and how exactly does it work?
An overview of crystal oscillators
The significant advantage when using quartz crystal products is that they offer reliable and precise frequency control, which is why they are viewed as a sound alternative to ceramic resonators. Crystal oscillators don’t require any input to generate a specific signal frequency and can provide a continuous waveform.
If the oscillator is harmonic, the energy will flow from the active components to the passive components. The feedback path will decide the frequency of harmonic oscillators. Comparatively, relaxation oscillators use and exchange the energy between the active and passive components. What this ultimately means is that the frequency will be determined by the charging and discharging of time constants.
One of the main things that make crystal oscillators distinct and so well suited across many applications is how they react when exposed to electricity. Quartz crystals change shape when introduced to an electric field. This reaction is known as electrostriction. When the current of electricity is cut off, the quartz crystals will provide a small amount of voltage. The steady time-keeping element of quartz crystal oscillators is what makes this frequency control solution so popular.
Industries that utilize quartz crystal oscillators
The time-keeping element of quartz crystal oscillators makes them an ideal solution for many applications. Perhaps one of the largest industries that utilize quartz crystal oscillators is computing. Quartz crystal oscillators provide good accuracy and incredible frequency stability that makes them suited for use in microcontrollers, microprocessors, and PICs.
Another primary industry that utilizes quartz crystal oscillators is the automobile industry. These components provide the desired frequency stability that most modern automobiles require for their features and safety systems. Examples include airbags, tire pressure monitoring systems, anti-blocking systems, and brake controls. Since most automobiles are now on the microprocessor-based system, quartz crystal oscillators have become the ideal preference for maintaining proper clock signals.
As previously mentioned, quartz crystal oscillators are best known for their time-keeping aspect. Their ability to provide hyper-precise frequency makes them the ideal component for clocks, watches, and other time-keeping devices. Quartz crystal oscillators have been used in time-keeping devices since the 1970s, and considering how well they work, that is not projected to change anytime soon.
Finally, quartz crystal oscillators are a main component in transmitters and radios due to the reference to ultra-precise frequency. Like time-keeping devices, crystal oscillators have been used in radio for several decades, dating back to the early 1920s.
Crystal oscillator market information
According to recent market data, the crystal oscillator market size is projected to reach $3.1 billion by 2025. Between the years 2020 to 2025, the crystal oscillator market has a compound annual growth rate of 2.1 percent. One of the most prominent proponents of that growth is the increasing adoption of advanced automotive electronics such as electric vehicles and the burgeoning self-driving vehicle market. Of course, the production of traditional gasoline vehicles plays a role as well.
Growth in the crystal oscillator market also can be attributed to increasing investments by manufacturers in emerging economies and the rising demand from consumer electronics manufacturers. Additionally, the increasing usage of crystal oscillators in deploying 5G/LTE networks is another source for projected increase. There are numerous new product launches and developments that are expected to utilize quartz crystal oscillators in their products and applications, both domestically and internationally.
It is worth noting that COVID-19 and the overall effects it had on manufacturing and shipping did indeed have a negative impact on the crystal oscillator market. Many industry projections made prior to 2020 did not take such an event into account, which is why many five-year projections forecasting growth for crystal oscillators are not coming to fruition.
However, now that the pandemic is stabilizing, we are now seeing a bounce-back in production of quartz crystal oscillators. The challenge that remains is that manufacturing and shipping have not yet climbed back to pre-pandemic levels. The original projection of $3.1 billion by 2025, according to Markets and Markets, is still in play, but a lot can happen in the next three years that can change that.
