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Application of Constant Temperature Crystal Oscillator OCXO in Radar

2025-01-17

RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) is a device that uses radio waves to detect the position, velocity, and characteristics of a target. By emitting electromagnetic waves and receiving the echo signals reflected by the target, radar can accurately measure the distance, direction, height, and movement speed of the target.

Crystal oscillator is a key frequency reference component in radar systems, and its performance has a significant impact on the stability and accuracy of radar operation.

1、 Specific applications include:
（1） Signal processing and timing control
During the signal transmission and reception process of radar, crystal oscillators provide high-precision clocks for signal modulation, demodulation, and digital signal processing to ensure data synchronization.
（2） Frequency synthesis and reference signal
The stable reference frequency generated by the crystal oscillator is multiplied or divided to provide the RF signal required for radar transmission and reception.
（3） Pulse timing
In pulse radar, the crystal oscillator is responsible for controlling the time interval of pulse generation to ensure high-precision target ranging.
（4）Multi radar system synchronization
Crystal oscillators provide a unified frequency reference for multi radar platforms, ensuring coordinated system operation.

2、 Typical crystal oscillator types
OCXO (Constant Temperature Crystal Oscillator): Provides high stability and low phase noise, suitable for military radar and high-end commercial radar.
TCXO (temperature compensated crystal oscillator): maintains frequency accuracy in the presence of significant changes in ambient temperature.
Differential crystal oscillator: supports high-speed signal processing and is suitable for modern phased array radar systems.

3、 Application scenarios
Military radar: such as target tracking and missile defense.
Civilian radar: such as meteorological monitoring, traffic management, and unmanned aerial vehicle detection.
Crystal oscillators ensure the reliability and performance of radar equipment in radar systems due to their high stability and precision.

4、 The commonly used crystal oscillator frequencies in radar systems include:
（1）Single ended crystal oscillator 10 MHz -40 MHz: used as the main frequency reference signal for the system, suitable for frequency synthesis and clock synchronization.
（2）Differential crystal oscillator 100-200 MHz: Used in high-resolution radar and phased array radar for signal processing modules, supporting high-speed data computation.
（3）Temperature compensated crystal oscillators such as 19.2 MHz and 38.4 MHz are suitable for general RF modules and communication processing units.
（4） High precision OCXO: such as 10 MHz/100MHz constant temperature crystal oscillator, providing low phase noise, suitable for high-end radar applications.

Crystal oscillators play an irreplaceable role in radar systems. Its high-precision clock signal, stable frequency output, and critical role in signal modulation and demodulation enable the radar system to achieve high-precision ranging and target recognition. With the continuous advancement of technology, the application of crystal oscillators in radar will become more extensive and in-depth.

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-165dBc@1kHz
-180dBc@10kHz
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