FEI-NY
High-Precision Quartz Oscillators
5–100 MHz
Frequency Range
3
Proprietary, end-user customizable designs
Application Optimized
State-of-the-art Phase Noise
MIL-PRF-55310
Qualification
5–100 MHz
Frequency Range
3
Proprietary, end-user customizable designs
Application Optimized
State-of-the-art Phase Noise
MIL-PRF-55310
Qualification
Product Philosophy
FEI products are deployed as customer-specific configurations derived from proven product platforms. Unlike one-off custom developments, these configurations are built using established architectures, qualified manufacturing processes, and the same rigorous quality, reliability, and test procedures applied across our product portfolio.
Overview
FEI designs and manufactures high-performance quartz oscillators for mission-critical aerospace, defense, space, communications, navigation, and critical infrastructure applications. These products provide the precise timing and frequency references required for Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT), Electronic Warfare (EW), secure communications, radar systems, satellite payloads, and time distribution networks.
For more than six decades, FEI has developed oscillator technologies for some of the world's most demanding operational environments, where accuracy, stability, reliability, and long-term performance are essential. Unlike many suppliers, FEI maintains vertically-integrated manufacturing capabilities that include in-house quartz resonator fabrication, frequency control technologies, and high-reliability production processes, providing exceptional control over product quality, performance, and traceability.
Our oscillator product families combine advanced design, precision manufacturing, and proven operational heritage to deliver exceptional phase noise performance, frequency stability, environmental resilience, and long service life. Available in a range of configurations and performance levels, these products support applications ranging from satellite communications and radar systems to navigation infrastructure, scientific instrumentation, and secure government networks.
Whether deployed as a standard product configuration or adapted to mission-specific requirements, every FEI oscillator is built using proven architectures, qualified manufacturing processes, and the same rigorous engineering and quality standards applied across our aerospace and defense product portfolio.
Performance Envelope
FEI oscillator product families are available in quartz and rubidium-based configurations supporting precision timing and frequency reference applications across space, defense, aerospace, communications, and navigation systems. Typical performance characteristics may include:
Final specifications vary by product family, configuration, qualification level, and customer requirements. Final published values should be confirmed by FEI technical marketing and engineering.
Application Note
Quartz oscillators provide the precise timing and frequency references that enable communications, navigation, radar, synchronization, and measurement systems to operate accurately and reliably.
When selecting an oscillator, engineers must evaluate key performance parameters including phase noise, frequency stability, aging characteristics, environmental resilience, and power consumption. These factors directly influence signal quality, synchronization accuracy, navigation performance, and overall system effectiveness.
FEI develops high-performance quartz oscillator technologies for aerospace, defense, communications, navigation, and space applications where timing integrity and long-term reliability are essential. Through vertically-integrated manufacturing and decades of frequency-control expertise, FEI delivers oscillator solutions designed to perform in demanding operational environments.
Modern aerospace, defense, communications, and navigation systems depend on precise timing and frequency references to maintain synchronization, communications integrity, and overall system performance.
Quartz oscillators remain one of the most widely deployed timing technologies due to their combination of frequency stability, low phase noise, reliability, size, power efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Selecting the appropriate oscillator architecture is a critical design decision that can significantly influence system performance.
This application note provides a high-level overview of key oscillator performance parameters and their impact on mission-critical systems.
In many systems, the oscillator serves as the foundational timing reference from which all other frequencies are generated.
Examples include:
Oscillator performance directly influences synchronization accuracy, signal quality, navigation precision, and overall mission effectiveness.
Phase noise represents short-term frequency fluctuations around the carrier signal.
Low phase noise is important for:
Lower phase noise generally improves signal clarity, receiver performance, and overall system sensitivity.
Frequency stability describes how well an oscillator maintains its frequency over time and environmental conditions.
Factors affecting stability include:
Applications such as navigation systems, timing networks, and synchronization architectures often require extremely stable frequency references.
All oscillators experience some degree of frequency drift over time.
Low-aging designs help:
Long-term stability is especially important in remote, inaccessible, or mission-critical environments.
Mission-critical systems frequently operate in challenging conditions.
Designers should evaluate:
Applications in aerospace, defense, and space environments often require oscillator technologies specifically engineered for demanding operational conditions.
Quartz oscillators continue to provide an effective balance of:
They remain widely used in communications, navigation, radar, synchronization, and instrumentation applications where high-performance frequency references are required.
Frequency Electronics develops high-performance quartz oscillator technologies for mission-critical applications across aerospace, defense, communications, navigation, and space markets.
Capabilities include:
Unlike many suppliers, Frequency Electronics maintains vertically-integrated manufacturing capabilities that include in-house quartz resonator fabrication and frequency control technologies, helping ensure exceptional quality, performance, and reliability.
Selecting the appropriate oscillator technology is a foundational decision for any timing-sensitive system.
By understanding the impact of phase noise, frequency stability, aging, and environmental performance, engineers can make informed decisions that improve system reliability, synchronization accuracy, and mission effectiveness.
For additional technical information, product specifications, or application support, contact Frequency Electronics engineering.
Product Families
01Ultra-stable OCXOs engineered for defense and communications platforms requiring low phase noise and high frequency accuracy across temperature.
02Wide range of oven and voltage-controlled designs with MEMs compensation for military-grade communications, radar, and navigation systems.
03Radiation-hardened, high-reliability oscillators qualified per MIL-PRF-55310 for LEO, MEO, and GEO satellite missions.
Technical Resources
Approved FEI product literature for this product family. Download the datasheet you need.
FEI specification for the JPL-qualified FE-2242 oven-controlled crystal oscillator.
Open PDFProduct datasheet for the FE-4175A 10 MHz digitally controlled VCXO.
Open PDFProduct datasheet for the FE-2026 Series 5 MHz and 10 MHz voltage-controlled crystal oscillators.
Open PDFProduct datasheet for the FE-5148 10 MHz master-reference oven-controlled crystal oscillator.
Open PDFProduct datasheet for the FE-5149 10.24 MHz ultra-stable oven-controlled crystal oscillator.
Open PDFKey Performance Parameters
Oscillator performance is inherently influenced by Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) considerations. As SWaP requirements become more restrictive, design tradeoffs may impact key performance characteristics such as frequency stability, phase noise, power consumption, and environmental resilience. Conversely, larger, higher-power oscillators can deliver enhanced performance for applications where maximum stability and precision are critical. FEI offers a comprehensive range of oscillator solutions spanning the full SWaP spectrum, enabling customers to select the optimal balance between compact, low-power designs and high-performance ultra-stable oscillators (USOs) based on their specific application requirements.
Where It's Used
OCXOs as the coherent frequency source for fire control radar where phase noise directly impacts target velocity resolution and discrimination.
Radiation-hardened oscillators as secondary clock references, telemetry system sources, and command receiver frequency standards on spacecraft.
Ultra-stable oscillator references for DRFM systems and EW jamming, where frequency accuracy determines the effectiveness of countermeasures.
High-stability TCXOs and OCXOs in GPS and GNSS receivers for fast signal acquisition and assured PNT accuracy under GPS-denied and high-dynamic conditions.
Low-phase-noise oscillators for encrypted communication downlinks, spread-spectrum modems, and frequency-hopping radios requiring frequency integrity.
Precision frequency references for SIGINT and ELINT collection platforms where oscillator stability directly affects signal intercept accuracy and analysis resolution.
Stable oscillator references for power grid synchronization, financial network timestamping, and telecommunications infrastructure requiring long-term autonomous accuracy.
OCXOs as primary references in spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and vector network analyzers requiring traceable frequency accuracy.
About the Manufacturer
Precision quartz oscillator technology engineered for the most demanding defense and space applications.
FEI-NY has manufactured precision quartz oscillators for defense, space, and communications markets since 1961. From ruggedized OCXOs for radar and EW systems to radiation-hardened space-qualified resonators, FEI-NY oscillators deliver the phase noise, stability, and environmental resilience that mission-critical programs demand.
FEI engineers are available to consult on custom configurations, integration requirements, and qualification testing for your specific application.
