A Method of Evaluating the g-sensitivity of Quartz Oscillators in GNSS Receivers

Abstract

Modern global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receivers use temperature-compensated crystal oscillators (TCXO) as generators of reference frequency. One of the parameters of quartz oscillators is its stability to output frequency when oscillators are subject to acceleration and vibrations. Such a stability is assessed by g-sensitivity value. Relatively high g-sensitivity of quartz oscillators can result in large tracking errors within circuits of GNSS receivers operating in hard vibrational-dynamic conditions, up to loss of tracking which negatively affect functional capacities of GNSS receivers. The current paper describes a method of estimating g-sensitivity of TCXO mounted on GNSS receiver printed circuit board (PCB). Experimental results have proved the advantage of this method over other known methods of g-sensitivity assessment for TCXO used in GNSS receivers.