At Sensors Expo 2018, Tim Bergeson from Microchip Technology shows how the company’s TimeFlash 2 Field Programmable Kit programming tool allows users to quickly and easily program MEMS oscillators anywhere and anytime. After setting the frequency of the tool to 140.3253 MHz with a selected 10 parts per million (PPM) tolerance, within a matter of seconds, the tool creates a working oscillator with 140.3259 MHz and a deviation within 4 PPM to drive this clock frequency for CMOS devices.

In addition to allowing users to program Microchip’s field programmable oscillators to a custom frequency in seconds enabling fast prototyping and testing, the tool can measure frequency, accuracy and power consumption of standard oscillators, regardless of the supplier. It supports CMOS, LVPECL, LVDS, and HCSL output types. The kit comes with a programmable dongle, USB cable, antistatic tweezers and a USB Flash drive for installing the software. Used with device-dependent socket cards (selected separately when ordering the kit), the tool can program Microchip DSC8XXX or DSC6XXX devices

With selectable frequency range, the DSC6000 family of MEMS oscillators consume 1.3 mA, have a 1.6 mm x 1.2 mm footprint and stability of 25 ppm over -40°C to 85°C temperature range. An example of a DSC800 family product is the DSC8001. It has an LVCMOS output, comes in a 2.5 x 2.0 x 0.85 mm footprint, consumes 5 mA when operating at 40 MHz (15 µA at standby) and is available in a range of different operating temperature ranges from 0 to 70°C (commercial) to -40°C to 105°C (extended industrial).