What is an oscillator?

What is an oscillator?

An oscillator is an electronic circuit or device that converts direct current energy into alternating current energy of a certain frequency.

The circuit composed of the oscillator is called the oscillation circuit, which is mainly composed of the capacitor  and the inductor  LC loop, through the mutual conversion of electric field energy and magnetic field energy to produce free oscillation. Oscillators can be divided into two main types: harmonic oscillators  and relaxation oscillators . In addition, there are special oscillators, such as Low frequency oscillators (Lfos), commonly used in audio synthesis, which produce sine-wave signals from 20 Hz to 20 KHZ. Ultrasonic oscillators use high-frequency sound waves to produce oscillations, which can be used for solution mixing, cleaning, etc. Oscillators are also the basis for many other electronic devices, such as transceiver devices and audio synthesis devices.

How do oscillators work?

The operating principle of oscillators varies according to their type and circuit design. Here are several common oscillators that work:


1.LC oscillator: LC oscillator is the use of inductor (L) and capacitor (C) components of the resonant circuit to generate oscillation. When the inductor and capacitor are connected together, the current and voltage will oscillate, and the frequency of the oscillation is called the "resonant frequency" of the circuit, which is determined by the inductive value of the inductor and the capacitance value of the capacitor.

2.RC oscillator: The working principle of RC oscillator is to use the RC network to provide the phase shift required for the response signal. It is cascaded through multiple RC networks to produce a phase difference of 180° at the selected oscillation frequency, thus forming an oscillation.

3. Transistor oscillator: In some circuit designs, such as the use of two triodes, through the coupling of capacitors and positive feedback circuits, the two triodes are alternately on and off, resulting in oscillating current. The frequency of oscillation is related to the resistance value of the resistor and the capacitance value of the capacitor.

In general, oscillators work by generating periodic changes in current or voltage, known as oscillations, through specific circuit designs and combinations of components. 
Different types of oscillators utilize different circuit elements and principles to achieve this goal.

Application of oscillator

Oscillator is an important electronic component, widely used in various fields, its main function is to convert direct current energy into AC energy with a specific frequency. The following is a detailed introduction of several oscillators:

1. Clock circuit. Oscillators are commonly used in clock circuits in computer systems, timers, or broadband signal processing systems.

2. Synchronization and mode control. Oscillators are also used for simultaneous serial processing of multiple subsignals in wideband signal processing systems, as well as for creating specific frequency, waveform, or superposition segmentation.

3. Frequency identification. Oscillators can be used for frequency discrimination before, after, or between multiple signals to discover the trajectory of short-time signals.

4. Communication system. A CNC oscillator is a digital signal generator used to generate synchronous, discrete time, and discrete value waveforms, such as sinusoids. Their output frequency and phase are controlled in design and are often used in combination with digital-to-analog converters (Dacs) to form direct digital synthesizers (DDS) or digital synthesizers. CNC oscillators are superior to other types of oscillators in terms of accuracy, agility, reliability and stability, so they are widely used in Class D audio amplifiers, audio generators, lighting controls, fluorescent ballasts and radio tuning circuits.

5. Consumer electronics and smart homes. Oscillators are also widely used in consumer electronics, smart home, network communications and other products, such as mice, computers, Bluetooth headphones, smart wearable devices, drones, television, air conditioning, refrigerators, washing machines, rice cookers, disinfection cabinets, microwave ovens, ovens, smoking machines, set-top boxes, mobile phones, wireless phones, wireless communications, fax machines, etc.

6. Laser and medical fields. Laser oscillators produce laser light with high brightness, monochromaticity and directivity, and are widely used in fiber optic communications, satellite communications and data storage (such as CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs), as well as measurement and metrology (such as laser interferometers and laser gyroscopes).

In general, oscillators have a wide range of applications in wireless communication, radar systems and clock circuits

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