What is a TCXO?

A TCXO or a Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator is a crystal oscillator specially designed to operate in high-temperature environments. The oscillation frequency of a regular crystal oscillator changes/fluctuates as the temperature rises, resulting in an unstable oscillation frequency. TCXO's provide a stable oscillation frequency in high-temperature environments. To do so, they use a temperature compensation network which stabilizes the oscillation frequency at higher temperatures.

Another type of oscillator that can be used in high-temperature environments is an OCXO - Click here to learn about the differences between a TCXO and OCXO.