Technical Resources
Practical guides for engineers selecting quartz crystals, oscillators, filters, and RF/microwave components. Each guide compares the options on the parameters that actually drive the decision, with a rule of thumb you can apply directly to your design.
Crystal Oscillators
TCXO vs OCXO vs VCXO: How to Choose the Right Crystal Oscillator Compare stability, power, warm-up time, and cost to pick the right oscillator type for your design.
Quartz Crystals
Application Notes Quartz Crystal Theory Information page about quartz crystal piezoelectric effect, equivalent cicuit and overtone modes.
SMD vs THD Crystal Packages: Choosing the Right Footprint Compare surface-mount and through-hole packages on board density, assembly method, and mechanical robustness.
Fundamental vs Overtone Crystals for High-Frequency Designs Understand the trade-off between crystal manufacturability and oscillator circuit complexity at higher frequencies.
Choosing a QCM Crystal for Biosensing vs Thin-Film Deposition Compare frequency, plating, and mounting requirements for liquid-phase biosensing versus vacuum deposition monitoring.
Filters
Crystal Filter vs SAW Filter: Which One for Your Application Compare frequency range, selectivity, and size to choose the right filter technology for your RF design.
RF & Microwave
Understanding Phase Noise: How to Read a PLDRO or OCXO Datasheet Learn how to interpret phase noise specs, compare datasheets apples-to-apples, and account for frequency multiplication.
Have a design question not covered here? Contact FCD-Tech or request a quote — our team can help match the right component to your application.
