MEMS oscillators from SiTime enhance AEL Crystals’ IoT offering

The company explains that the IoT brings fresh challenges for frequency control manufacture as it requires products to accommodate multiple protocols, such as Bluetooth,  ZigBee, Z-Wave, 6LoWPAN, CSR Mesh / Bluetooth Low Energy, Sigfox and Thread. Designs are also expected to require lower power consumption and occupy less space in always-on devices, often in the consumer market where price is also a consideration.

The SiT15xx 32.768 kHz MEMS devices offer high levels of integration, new packaging options and space savings, with surface mount and ultra-small chip-scale package (CSP) choices.

The real-time clock (32.768 kHz) is always-on, contributing to extending the life of the battery, a significant design consideration for IoT product development.

The MEMS oscillators are available in a 2.0 x 1.2 mm (2012) SMD package for designs that require crystal resonator compatibility. AEL says that the chip scale package (CSP) MEMS oscillator reduces footprint by up to 80%, compared to existing 2012 SMD crystal packages and is 60% smaller than the 1610 crystal package (1.6 x 1.0 mm).

The company also offers the SiT8021, claimed to be the industry’s smallest and the lowest power MHz oscillator in a 1.5 x 0.8 mm CSP. This µPower oscillator is designed for battery-operated applications, with its low operating power of 270µA (max) and ≤0.7µA in standby mode.

The programmable technology ensures that samples are available from stock in all frequencies.

AEL Crystals supplies watch crystals, oscillators, AT-cut crystal resonators, miniature adds TCXO, antenna and filter devices.