MEMS Oscillator Targets Cost-Sensitive Electronics

Silicon Labs’ work on building microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) structures directly on top of CMOS wafers has resulted in the Si50x, a single-die oscillator family designed to replace crystal oscillators in cost-sensitive high-volume applications. The family guarantees 10 years of frequency stability, including solder shift, load pulling, VDD variation, operating temperature range, vibration, and shock. Temperature compensation is achieved passively, using materials with offset temperature behaviors in the design. There are five products in the Si50x family, supporting any frequency between 32 kHz and 100 MHz. Frequency stability options include ±20, ±30, and ±50 ppm across extended commercial (–20°C to 70°C) and industrial (–40°C to 85°C) operating temperature ranges. The CMEMS oscillators also offer extensive field- and factory-programmable features including low-power and low-period jitter modes, programmable rise/fall times, and polarity-configurable output-enable functionality.

SILICON LABORATORIES