SparkFun Forums

[smdFan]

Hi there,

Assume you have a crystal oscillator (similar to this http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/produc ... cts_id=537).

How would you know if it is good? How would you test it? What sort of equipment is needed to test oscillators?

If you want to test LEDs, there are some cheap LED testers. I am wondering if there are such testers for oscillators. Thanks

Regards



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[leon_heller]

The standard technique is to make a simple crystal oscillator with a transistor and check the output with a scope, or listen for it on a suitable radio. Try Googling for a Colpitts oscillator. Or, buffer the output and rectify it. The output will light an LED if it is working.

You can allso make an oscillator with a couple of logic gates - plenty of circuits for that are around.

Leon

[smdFan]

The standard technique is to make a simple crystal oscillator with a transistor and check the output with a scope, or listen for it on a suitable radio. Try Googling for a Colpitts oscillator. Or, buffer the output and rectify it. The output will light an LED if it is working.

You can allso make an oscillator with a couple of logic gates - plenty of circuits for that are around.

Leon

Thanks for response. However, I am not planning on makeing an oscillator. I just want to know if there are easier ways of testing an oscillator if it is dead or in working condition. Assuming you do not have Oscilloscope. Thanks

Regards

[leon_heller]

An oscillator is really the only way, unless you have a network analyser. It'll only take a few minutes to make one. You can use a radio instead of a scope, or use an LED as I suggested. You'll find plenty of circuits with Google.

Leon

[Philba]

technically, that device is a crystal.

I'd use something like the 4060. see this data sheet http://komponenten.es.aau.dk/fileadmin/ ... 60.pdf.pdf page 5. I'd cascade a second and put an LED on several of the stage outputs. For example, that 9.216 Mhz SFE crystal would toggle the o9 (divide by 8M) output of the second 4060 approximately every 8/9 seconds.