A Temperature Compensator Crystal Oscillator or a TCXO is a crystal oscillator that is designed to withstand high-temperature conditions. In a regular crystal oscillator the oscillation frequency fluctuates with the rise in temperature. The consequence of this is an unstable oscillation frequency. TCXO supports a stable oscillation frequency at high temperatures. For this, they take the help of a temperature compensation network which balances out the oscillation frequency at higher temperatures.

Performance figure of TCXO

Some of the most important performance figures of TCXO are as follows:

• Power Dissipation – The dissipation of power in a TCXO will be much greater as compared to an ordinary oscillator keeping in view of the additional circuitry needed. In addition to that the cost becomes greater. It should also be kept in mind that the cost is greater. It is also worth remembering that it will take a short period after start-up for the oscillator to stabilize. This might be of the order 100 ms, or conceivably more, subordinate upon the plan.

• TCXO PPM performance – As said earlier, the performance of TCXO temperature is much better as compared to a normal crystal oscillator. Ordinarily, figures of somewhere in the range of 10 and 40 times improvement can regularly be seen. Figures that are better than +1.5 (or -1.5) ppm over a temperature range of 0 to 70 degrees Celsius are much harder to achieve as they at that point fall into a high exactness classification where costs increment essentially.