Question
How is positive feedback supplied in a Pierce oscillator?
Answer Options
- A) Through a tapped coil
- B) Through link coupling
- C) Through a neutralizing capacitor
- D) Through a quartz crystal
Correct Answer: D
Explanation
The Pierce oscillator is one of the most common and simplest circuits used to achieve high frequency stability in crystal-controlled oscillators. It is essentially a variation of the Colpitts oscillator, but its resonant frequency is set by a quartz crystal.
In a Pierce oscillator, the positive feedback is supplied through a quartz crystal, which is placed between the output of the active device (transistor or \text{IC}) and its input. The quartz crystal acts as a high-\text{Q} resonant network at its series resonant frequency, providing the necessary phase shift and magnitude of feedback to sustain oscillation precisely at the crystal’s fundamental frequency.
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