The use of external oscillators and the design of oscillator circuits is not
trivial. This is because there are many variables: VDD, operating temperature
range, crystal type and manufacture, loading capacitors, circuit layout and PCB
material. Presented here are some typical guidelines to help with the basic oscillator
circuit design.
Figure 1. Recommended External 32.768 kHz Oscillator Connection Circuit
Schematic
- Even the best performing
oscillator circuits and high-quality crystals will not perform well if the
layout and materials used during assembly are not carefully considered. Ultra
low-power 32.768 kHz oscillators typically dissipate significantly below 1 μW,
and the current flowing in the circuit is, therefore, extremely small. Also, the
crystal frequency is highly dependent on the capacitive load.
- The crystal circuit should be
placed on the same side of the board as the device. Place the crystal circuit as
close to the respective oscillator pins as possible and avoid long traces. This
will reduce parasitic capacitance and increase immunity against noise and
crosstalk. The load capacitors should be placed next to the crystal itself, on
the same side of the board. Any kind of sockets should be
avoided.
- Place a grounded copper area
around the crystal circuit to isolate it from surrounding circuits. If the
circuit board has two sides, the copper area on the bottom layer should be a
solid area covering the crystal circuit. The copper area on the top layer should
surround the crystal circuit and tie to the bottom layer area using via(s).
- Do not run any signal traces or
power traces inside the grounded copper area. Avoid routing digital lines,
especially clock lines, close to the crystal lines.
- If using a two-sided PCB, avoid
any traces beneath the crystal. For a multilayer PCB, avoid routing signals
below the crystal lines.
- Dust and humidity will increase
parasitic capacitance and reduce signal isolation. A protective coating is
recommended.
- Successful oscillator design
requires good specifications of operating conditions, a component selection
phase with initial testing, and testing in actual operating conditions to ensure
that the oscillator performs as desired.
For more detailed information about oscillators and oscillator circuit
design, read the following application notes:
- AN2648 - Selecting and Testing
32 KHz Crystal Oscillators for AVR® Microcontrollers
- AN949 - Making Your Oscillator
Work