The alignment of oscillators or resonant circuits so they share an identical frequency, regardless of their phase relationship. This is a fundamental requirement in radio communications and timing systems to ensure transmitters and receivers are locked onto the same channel. It differs from synchronization, which requires both frequency and phase to match.
Heard on the job
The drift in the local oscillator required a quick syntonization to get the receiver back on channel.
Do not mix it up with
- Time alignment: Time alignment deals with matching the phase or arrival time of signals, while syntonization only matches their frequency.