Precise crystal clock generators support BLE, WiFi & ZigBee

14th January 2015

Barney Scott

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Murata has developed two Crystal unit products: the 2016-size (2.0x1.6mm) XRCGB-F-P series and the 1612-size (1.6x1.2mm) XRCFD-F/XRCMD-F series. A crystal unit is an electronic component oscillating at a specific frequency that utilises the piezoelectric properties of quartz crystal. It can generate high precision signals and is used as the source of clock signal for digital circuits.

The XRCGB-F-P series has a frequency precision (initial tolerance + temperature characteristics) of ±40ppm, making it the first device of its type to support wireless communication applications used in wearable and mobile devices such as BLE and ZigBee. The XRCFD-F/XRCMD-F series has a frequency precision (initial tolerance + temperature characteristics) of ±20ppm, enabling support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Murata first commercialised a crystal unit in 2009, after jointly developing it with Tokyo Denpa. While Murata’s ceramic resonators remain popular in automotive and consumer applications, the introduction of the crystal unit allowed Murata to expand into the HDD and SSD storage markets, where higher precision is required.

The XRCGB-F-P series employs a resin sealing method and delivers higher precision than its predecessors, whilst the XRCFD-F/XRCMD-F, a smaller version of the XRCGB-F-P, employs the alloy fusion sealing method and will contribute to the realisation of more compact mobile devices and wireless communication modules, says Murata.

Murata’s proprietary packaging technology, unavailable in previous crystal units, enables superior quality and cost performance, and is suitable for mass production. At the same time, it allows miniaturisation, enabling higher mounting density and thinner products, trends that can be expected to accelerate advancement in the field.

The RoHS-compliant and lead-free components support lead-free solder mounting.