Controlled Oscillators

A Controlled Oscillator is an oscillator whose frequency is set either by an analog signal or by a digital code.  One of the most important characteristics of a controlled oscillator is its linearity, which determines how precise the output frequency tracks the control signal.  A controlled oscillator is a key component of a phase locked loop (PLL). PLLs are widely used in many electrical systems as clock synchronization, data acquisition, and communication.