[time-nuts] Advantages of differential oscillator structures?

[Attila Kinali]

On Sat, 10 Aug 2013 02:39:35 -0700
wb6bnq <wb6bnq at cox.net> wrote:

> I gather you did not fully read the paper ?

I did, but...

> This paper presents a circuit topography that allows the low current 
> operation at a high frequency (12.8 MHz) thus reducing complexity.  This 
> in turn allows the design and manufacture of a radio system using one 
> crystal oscillator at a frequency of 12.8 MHz (example in the paper) 
> with the low power advantage that previously required two oscillators.

That's one advantage, and not a small one, but differential oscillators
have been in use earlier and even in places where power consumption did
not matter much. It pops up in crystal oscillator designs now and then
but without any mention why this architecture was choosen. So i started
to wonder whether there was any additional advantage than just lower
power consumption and being able to work with less headroom, like better
phase noise or better long term stability or less harmonics.

			Attila Kinali

-- 
1.) Write everything down.
2.) Reduce to the essential.
3.) Stop and question.
		-- The Habits of Highly Boring People, Chris Sauve