Oscillators in Electronic Circuits

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Oscillators are used in electronic circuits to produce some kind of desired output. In order for oscillators to work, they need a power supply, a circuit that produces a certain frequency or signal, a circuit that will allow a voltage to feedback to the oscillator circuit, and a way to record the output signal. Depending on the components that make up these elements will determine what type of oscillator it will be and how it will perform. There are different types of oscillators. These include:

• Relaxation Oscillators: A relaxation oscillator produces a frequency that is taken and transmitted by the components that follow that circuit. After this frequency goes through the oscillator, the oscillator relaxes temporarily until another signal is fed into the oscillator circuit.
• Clock Oscillator: This oscillator generates clock signals that allow most digital circuits to work. In fact, without this oscillator working, computers would not work at all.
• Colpritts Oscillator: This type of oscillator is used in radios to help amplify radio signals. When a signal is received by the antenna, the signal goes through a Colpritts oscillator first so that the signal is amplified. After this the signal proceeds to the tuning circuits.
• Hartley Oscillator: This type of oscillator uses a tuned circuit that is comprises of a capacitor and a coil, along with a transformer. There is a special connection that allows the signal from the collector of the transistor to go to the base of the transistor, in a loop fashion, so the signal is amplified even more.
• Crystal Oscillator: A crystal oscillator is a device where the primary element that creates the frequency is a quartz crystal. The quartz crystal is made of such a material that once the frequency is obtained, it will remain steady. If you need a circuit where a certain frequency needs to be applied and kept stabilized, crystal oscillators will do the trick.

Other than the applications described above, the main purpose of an oscillator is to take an external signal that is injected or placed in the circuit, and react to it. Now if the signal is intermittent, the oscillator will lock to the highest part of the frequency that occurs.

Next Page: Rectifiers and How They Are used in Electronic Circuits

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