3.6 Oscillators and timers

Outcome 6 of 9 in domain 3 · Semiconductors and analog

555, RC, crystal.

My targets

I declare:

Build a 555 astable, calculate its frequency and measure it.
Explain the difference between an RC oscillator, a crystal and a ceramic resonator, and why a microcontroller sometimes wants the crystal.
Measure an RC oscillator’s drift with temperature (a finger’s warmth will do) and draw the lesson.
Build a monostable for a given delay, measure it.
Explain a microcontroller’s crystal oscillator (Pierce) and give the notion of a voltage-controlled oscillator and a phase-locked loop.
Diagnosis: a microcontroller that won’t start on its own board, crystal not starting, load capacitors, trace length.