Fundamentals of Frequency Reference

Oscillators
Use models for wide range of applications

Venkatesan (Ramki) Ramakrishnan

Director, Marketing and Business Development
Government Segment
May 29, 2013

Confidential © Copyright 2013 1

 Introduction
Terms and Specifications

Confidential © Copyright 2013 2

 For Frequency Generation

You need…

The Earth rotating

Electronic
Oscillator
A pendulum
(mechanical oscillator)

Atomic resonance

… a method of generating a repeatable event

Confidential © Copyright 2013 3
 Frequency

Frequency = the number of cycles per second

Ideal frequency source generates a pure, repeatable sine wave

Confidential © Copyright 2013 4

 Frequency Definitions

• Offset – the frequency error from the ideal (fast or slow)

• Accuracy – refers to frequency offset of a device

• Stability – how well an oscillator produces time or frequency

over a given time interval

• Aging – change of frequency over time (also called drift)

• Temperature Stability – the change of frequency over

temperature

• Accumulated Time Error – total of all the above characteristics

acting on a clock
Confidential © Copyright 2013 5
 Performance Definitions

• Short Term Stability – the change of frequency over 1-100

seconds from noise and vibration. Sometimes called flicker or
jitter

• Long Term Stability – the change of frequency over hours, days,

or months. Result due to age and temperature

• Phase Noise – The rapid, short-term, random fluctuations in the

phase of a sine wave due to oscillator quality, semi-conductor
and white noise

Confidential © Copyright 2013 6

 What is Frequency Stability & Accuracy

Courtesy John Vig

Confidential © Copyright 2013 7

 Oscillator Stability Over Time

Frequency stability typically improves in the short

term, stabilizes, then becomes less predictable in
the long term
Confidential © Copyright 2013 8
Short and Long Term Oscillator
Stability

1.00E-06
Frequency Stability Chart
1.00E-07
1.00E-08
1.00E-09
OCXO
1.00E-10
Stability

1.00E-11 Hi-Stab OCXO

1.00E-12
Rb
1.00E-13
1.00E-14 Cs-High Perf
1.00E-15
H-Maser
1 Sec 10 Sec 100 Sec 1K Sec 10K Sec 100K Sec Week Month
GPS
Time

Some oscillators perform better short term… others

long term

Confidential © Copyright 2013 11

 What is Phase Noise

Unwanted noise sidebands on either side of the output

signal center frequency caused by random variations of the
frequency and the phase of the carrier

Confidential © Copyright 2013 12

 What is Single Side Band Phase Noise

The SSB is defined as the ratio of power in one phase

modulation sideband to the total signal power

Confidential © Copyright 2013 13

 What is Oscillator Phase Noise

Oscillator Phase Noise

-80
Noise Level (dBc/Hz)

-90
-100
-110
-120
-130
-140
-150
-160
1Hz 10Hz 100Hz 1KHz 10KHz
OCXO Hi-Stab OCXO
Rb Cs Offset Frequency
H-Maser

Phase noise is a short term noise component indicative

of the spectral purity of an oscillator signal
Confidential © Copyright 2013 14
Putting the Fundamentals into
Perspective…
What is one part in 1.0E-10 ? (As in 1 x 10-10/day aging)
• ~1/2 cm out of the circumference of the Earth.
• ~1/4 second per human lifetime (of ~80 years).
Power received on Earth from a GPS satellite, -160 dBW, is as
“bright” as a flashlight in Los Angeles when viewed in New York
City, ~5000 km away
What is -170 dB? (As in -170 dBc/Hz phase noise)
• -170 dB = 1 part in 1017 ~thickness of a sheet of paper out of
the total distance traveled by all the cars in the world in a day

The second is the most precise SI unit of measure!

Confidential © Copyright 2013 15

 Frequency Sources Types
Quartz Crystal Oscillators
Atomic Frequency Standards
Emerging Clock Technologies

Confidential © Copyright 2013 16

 Crystal Oscillator Types
∆f
Voltage f +10 ppm
Tune 250C
-450C +1000C
Output T

Crystal Oscillator (XO) -10 ppm

∆f
Temperature Compensation
Sensor Network or f +1 ppm
-450C +1000C
Computer
T
XO -1 ppm
Temperature Compensated (TCXO)
Oven
XO ∆f
Oven f +1 x 10-8
control Temperature
-450C +1000C
Sensor T
-1 x 10-8
Oven Controlled (OCXO)

Confidential © Copyright 2013 17

 Atomic Frequency Standards

Confidential © Copyright 2013 18

 Atomic Clock Technologies

• Rubidium Gas Cell: 6,834,682,610.904 Hz

• Cesium Beam: 9,192,631,770 Hz
• Hydrogen Maser: 1,420,405,751.768 Hz

• Fountains use cesium, rubidium

• Stored Ions use mercury, ytterbium
• Optical Clocks use mercury, calcium

The resonant frequency of atoms does not age… the apparatus to

interrogate or confine atoms can in some atomic clocks

Confidential © Copyright 2013 19

 Atomic (Passive) Clock Basics

Synthesizer Atoms Detector

RF Output
Oscillator

Servo
Divider

Clock Output

• Stimulate an energy state change in the atoms

• Detect when resonant frequency is achieved
• Servo the oscillator to maintain optimal performance

Confidential © Copyright 2013 20

 Cesium Beam Tube Fundamentals

9192 MHz

Detector

F=3 F=3
F=3 F=3
+ S + S
F=4 F=4
F=4
F=4
N N

"A" Magnet "B" Magnet

Magnetically-Selected CBT

• Advantages: Unperturbed flow of atoms, long interrogation time

• Disadvantage: Finite life. (eventually run out of cesium)

Confidential © Copyright 2013 21

 Cesium Technology Applications

• Cesium Technology is considered the most

comprehensive holdover option against GNSS
vulnerabilities
– Exhibit no frequency drift
– Maintains 5x10-15 accuracy over the life of the
instrument
• Critical for long-term autonomous operation
• No on-going calibration required
• More expensive than Rubidium and OCXO
– Consumes more power and space
• Typical applications
– Fixed wireline communications infrastructure
– Under sea (Submarine)
– Satellite ground stations
– Metrology and Time Keeping
Confidential © Copyright 2013 22
 Rubidium Frequency Standard Bascis
Magnetic Shield

RF
Lamp Oven Filter Oven Cavity Oven
Excitation
Lamp
Filter Absorption

Lamp Rb-87 Photo- Signal

Rb-85 Rb-87
Exciter Lamp Detector Out

Cell Cell
Coil

C-Field Coil
C-Field
Current

(3) Oven Temperature Sensors and Heaters

µW
Interrogation
Physics
RF Chain
Package

Servo Modulation

Discriminator
Signal
Frequency Lock Loop

O/P
Servo Crystal O/P
Amplifier Oscillator Amp
Control
Voltage

Confidential © Copyright 2013 23

Rubidium Gas Cell Frequency Standards

• Most widely used type of atomic clock

–Smallest, lightest, lowest power
–Least complex, least expensive, longest life
–Excellent performance, stability & reliability

• Device of choice when better stability is needed compared to

crystal oscillator
–Lower aging, lower temperature sensitivity
–Faster warm-up, excellent retrace
–Used as an inexpensive holdover technology

Confidential © Copyright 2013 24

 Active Hydrogen Masers

• Excellent frequency stability up to 1 day

– 40X superior to high performance cesium
• Mature technology with good operating
lifetime and reliability
• Design of choice when the ultimate
frequency stability is required
• Applications: National timescale and
Radio Astronomy applications
MHM 2010

MASER: Microwave Amplification by Stimulated

Emission of Radiation
Confidential © Copyright 2013 25
 Hierarchy of Oscillator Types
Oscillator Type* Accuracy** Typical Applications

• Crystal oscillator (XO) 10-5 to 10-4 Computer timing

• Temperature compensated 10-6 Frequency control in tactical
crystal oscillator (TCXO) radios
• Microcomputer compensated 10-8 to 10-7 Spread spectrum system clock
crystal oscillator (MCXO)
Navigation system clock &
• Oven controlled crystal 10-8 (with 10-10
oscillator (OCXO) per g option) frequency standard, MTI radar

• Small atomic frequency 10-9 C3 satellite terminals, bistatic,

standard (Rb, RbXO) & multistatic radar

• High performance atomic 10-12 to 10-11 Strategic C3, EW

standard (Cs)
* Sizes range from <5cm3 for clock oscillators to > 30 liters for Cs standards
Costs range from <$5 for clock oscillators to > $50,000 for Cs standards
** Including environmental effects (e.g., -40oC to +75oC) and one year of aging

Confidential © Copyright 2013 27

 Emerging Clock Technologies

• Fountain Clocks
–Atoms are cooled and “tossed” upward in Earth’s gravity
–Used for primary standards where ultimate accuracy is desired

• Miniature Atomic Clocks

–Ultra miniature size and low power requirement

• Optical clocks relying upon optical atomic transitions

Confidential © Copyright 2013 28

 SA.31M Laser Pumped Rb &
Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC)
• Rb Miniature Atomic Clock (MAC)
– Small form factor: 51mm x 51mm x 18mm (H)
– Lower power: 5W @ 25o C
– Stability
• 1s <3E-11; 100s <8E-12
– Aging: <3E-10/month
– Temp Stability: <1E-10 (–10o C to +75oC)
• CSAC (Chip Scale Atomic Clock)
– Volume: <17 cc
– Weight : 35g
– Very Low power: <120 mW
– Stability
• 1s <2E-10; 100s <2E-11
– Aging: <3E-10/month
– Temp Stability: <5E-10 (0 to +75o C)
Confidential © Copyright 2013 29
 Cesium Fountain

• Accuracy ~1 x 10-15
• 1 x 10-16 is achievable

Cesium atom velocity in the fountain is

~1 centimeter/sec allowing increased
interrogation time and stability

Confidential © Copyright 2013 30

 Stability of Laboratory Atomic
Frequency Standards

Confidential © Copyright 2013 31

 Frequency and Time Relationship

Confidential © Copyright 2013 32

 Time is Derived from Frequency
• Every clock ever made is an oscillator + a counter
• The 1 pulse-per-second (PPS) is the epoch or definition of the on-time marker of
a clock
• Further counting of the 1PPS is used to keep track of seconds, minutes, hours,
days, and years

OSC Counter 1PPS

FAST / EARLY SLOW / LATE

1PPS

Clock 1PPS rising edge is typically on-time: HH:MM:SS.000000000

Confidential © Copyright 2013 33

 OCXO Accumulated Time Error

Clock operating from an OCXO with an offset & aging of 5E-10 and a
temperature error of 1 degree C

Accumulated Time Error

400
350
Microseconds

300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 41 45 49 53 57

Aging Error(uS) Offset Err.(uS) Hours

Temp Err.(uS) Total Err.(uS)

Oscillator errors accumulate impacting clock performance

Confidential © Copyright 2013 34

 Cesium Time Error Due to Offset

Cesium Time Error (Offset 2E-12)

6
Time error = Freq offset * seconds/day
5 Or
Microseconds

2E-12 x 86400s = ~0.2µs / day

4

0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31

Offset Err.(uS) Days

Cesium atomic oscillators do not age

Confidential © Copyright 2013 35

 GPS Disciplining Phase Plot
If we look at the phase error over time we can see just how the
Stability and Accuracy are linked
TCXO Disciplining OCXO Disciplining Rubidium Disciplining Cesium Disciplining
+150
+100
Nanoseconds

+50
0
-50
-100
-150
TIME

Oscillator is key to improving GPS clock

performance

Confidential © Copyright 2013 36

 Symmetricom Clock Portfolio Overview

Confidential © Copyright 2013 37

 High Performance Atomic Clock Solution

UTC(k)
5MHz
Cesium (5071A)
BIPM

5MHz Correction

Precise Time-Scale System

H-Maser(s)

The frequency stability of Symmetricom’s clocks enables

autonomous operation of mission critical applications and world
Time Keeping Applications

Confidential © Copyright 2013 38

 Clock Portfolio:
Price vs Performance overview
Price

Master Osc
9500B
USO

9700

Satcoms
OCXO

Applications
9600QT
OCXO

Military UAV/Avionics
8200LN
Rb

9638
OCXO
9960
TCXO
9940

Tactical
VCXO
9250
Low-g
CSAC OCXO

Low Portable/Battery High Flight/Mission Critical Space Ref Standards

Confidential © Copyright 2013

Performance 39
 Summary
Presenter Profile:
Ramki Ramakrishnan is currently • Symmetricom® is the worldwide leader
employed as the Director of
Marketing and Business in precise timing solutions
Development in Symmetricom. He is
responsible for developing a business • Over forty years of heritage in the timing
strategy and executing them to serve
the customers in Government solutions market
Aerospace/Defense and Metrology
markets worldwide. He has been with • Trusted provider of Time and Frequency
Symmetricom for over 10 years in a
variety of key marketing and control solutions for several end markets
management roles, and he spent 17
years in various technical marketing
and management functions in • End-to-end Time & Frequency solutions
Hewlett Packard and Agilent
Technologies prior to joining
Symmetricom. He has a bachelor’s
degree in Physics and an advanced • USA based design and manufacturing
degree in Electronics and
Telecommunications engineering
from Anna University, India. Ramki
can be reached at
vramakrishnan@symmetricom.com

Confidential © Copyright 2013 40

 References

• NIST
http://www.nist.gov/index.html
• USNO
http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/about-us
• JPO
http://www.jpo.go.jp/
• Time and Frequency User's Manual, National Bureau of Standards Special
Publication 559, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1979

Confidential © Copyright 2013 41