A voltage-controlled oscillator generates a periodic waveform where the frequency is directly proportional to an applied tuning voltage. They form the heart of phase-locked loops and frequency synthesizers, allowing a system to lock onto external signals or sweep across a frequency band.
Heard on the job
The VCO is drifting because the control voltage is picking up noise from the switching regulator.
Also heard as
- voltage-controlled oscillator
Related terms
Phase-locked loop
A control system that generates an output signal whose phase is related to the phase of an input signal.
PLL
A phase-locked loop circuit that synchronizes an output oscillator with a reference signal.
Clock generator
A circuit or chip that produces the primary timing signals for a digital system.