What is OCXO G-Sensitivity: Acceleration Sensitivity
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OCXO G-sensitivity refers to the frequency variation of an Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator caused by acceleration, vibration or mechanical shock. Low G-sensitivity is critical for maintaining frequency stability in aerospace, defense, satellite communication, navigation and precision timing applications where environmental disturbances can affect oscillator performance. This page covers G-sensitivity definition, formula and units of measurement associated with OCXOs.
OCXO G-sensitivity Definition
OCXO stands for Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator. G-sensitivity refers to the change in the output frequency of an oscillator when subjected to an acceleration force. It’s also known as Acceleration Sensitivity.
This phenomenon arises because the quartz crystal used in OCXOs is an electro-mechanical device. Applying voltage across the crystal causes it to oscillate, and conversely, applying vibration induces a voltage.
Different types of OCXOs exist, including those using AT-cut, IT-cut, and SC-cut crystals. SC-cut crystals exhibit lower g-sensitivity due to their stress compensation feature.
OCXO g-sensitivity is typically measured in units of ppb/g (parts per billion per g). Figure 1 illustrates the internal components of an OCXO.
The g-sensitivity for bulk mode quartz crystals can range from less than 1x10-10 per g for meticulously crafted SC-cut crystals to greater than 1x10-7 per g for lower-cost AT-cut crystals.
OCXO G-sensitivity Formula or Equation
The following equations or formulas are used for OCXO G-sensitivity.
The induced phase noise degradation of an oscillator can be calculated from its g-sensitivity.
By knowing the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the vibration input, it’s possible to compute the g-sensitivity of the crystal from the resultant phase noise plot.
Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillators (OCXO)
Explore ultra stable frequency generation using temperature controlled ovens, crystal cuts, and performance metrics.
- OCXO Basics, Types, and Crystal Cut Comparisons
- Understanding Oven-Controlled Crystal Oscillators
- OCXO SC-Cut Crystal Oscillator: Advantages & Disadvantages
- OCXO PPM vs PPB vs PPS Metrics
- OCXO vs VCXO vs TCXO vs DCXO Comparison
- OCXO vs OCSO Differences
- OCXO vs Rubidium Oscillators
- Low Phase Noise 10 MHz OCXO
Continue Learning Oscillator Fundamentals & Types
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- Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs)
- NE 566 VCO and its application in PLL Design
- Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO) and its use in DDS Design
- Understanding YIG Oscillators
- Backward Wave Oscillators (BWO): Advantages & Disadvantages