Robin Ash

It might seem counter intuitive that an active device solution consumes less power than a passive device. Every design engineer knows that a passive crystal resonator (XTAL) doesn’t draw power, so why use an oscillator in place of an XTAL in a power sensitive application? The answer becomes clear when total system power is considered.

With this week’s introduction of the industry’s smallest and lowest power MHz oscillators, MEMS-based timing has once again shattered the limitations of quartz. What dramatic improvements does this new family of µPower MHz oscillators offer for the wearable, IoT and mobile markets?