Ceramic resonator

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1 Description
2 Packages
3 Applications
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Description

A ceramic resonator is an electronic component that can produce oscillation at a specific frequency when combined with other appropriate components. It consists of a voltage variable capacitor that acts in some ways like a quartz crystal. Ceramic resonators are made of high-stability piezoelectric ceramics, generally lead zirconium titanate (PZT) which functions as a mechanical resonator. When voltage is applied, its piezoelectric "vibration behavior" causes an oscillating signal. The thickness of the ceramic substrate determines the resonance frequency of the device.

[edit] Packages

A typical ceramic resonator package has either two or three connections. They come in both surface mount and through-hole varieties with a number of different footprints. The oscillation takes place across two of the pins (connections) and the third pin (if present) is connected to ground.^[1]^[2]

[edit] Applications

Ceramic Resonators can be seen in many circuit boards as they can be used as the source of the clock signal for digital circuits such as microprocessors where the frequency accuracy is not of prime importance. ^[3]

Ceramic resonators are also likely to be found in timing circuitry for a wide array of applications such as TVs, VCRs, automotive electronic devices, telephones, copiers, cameras, voice synthesizers, communication equipment, remote controls and toys. A ceramic resonator is often used in place of quartz crystals as a reference clock or signal generator in electronic circuitry because of its lower cost and smaller size. It is used on circuits where frequency specifications aren't highly critical (quartz has a 0.001% frequency tolerance, while PZT has a 0.5% tolerance).