AdvancedA-005-001-006
Positive feedback from a capacitive divider indicates the oscillator type is:
C
Answer
Antennas and transmission lines
Type
A
Miller
B
Pierce
C
Colpitts
D
Hartley
Answer Notes
In electronic oscillator design, the method used to feed energy from the output back to the input defines the oscillator type. A Colpitts oscillator is specifically characterized by its use of a capacitive voltage divider to provide this positive feedback.
The resonant tank circuit of a Colpitts oscillator consists of an inductor in parallel with two series capacitors. The feedback signal is tapped from the connection point between these two capacitors, routing a portion of the oscillating energy back to the input to sustain the cycle.
By contrast, a Hartley oscillator uses an inductive divider (a tapped coil) for its feedback. While the Miller and Pierce are crystal-based oscillators, the defining textbook characteristic of a purely capacitive voltage divider in an LC circuit points directly to the Colpitts.
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In an RF oscillator circuit designed for high stability, the positive feedback is drawn from two capacitors connected in series. These two capacitors would most likely be: