Rubidium Oscillator Claims 1000X Higher Accuracy Than OCXO

According to IQD, its IQRB-1 oscillator is around 1000 times more accuracy than a typical oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO). The rubidium oscillator, based around a subminiature atomic clock (housed in a 5-pin, 51-mm-square package), offers ±0.05-ppb (parts per billion) accuracy, even during temperature fluctuations. In comparison, IQD’s highest-performance OCXO (IQOV-70 series) offers stabilities less than ±3 ppb. The IQRB-1 operates at 10 MHz and can accept supply voltages between 12 and 18 V. It consumes 6 W maximum, with a typical warm-up time of five minutes. Operating temperature is −30° to +65°C, and mean time between failure is approximately 100,000 hours. IQD claims the device has 100 times less drift than typical OCXOs, and short-term stability of 8 ppb over a one-second period. Due to its high accuracy, the IQRB-1 can be used as a free-run frequency source in accuracy-demanding applications such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems.

IQD Frequency Products Ltd.