Among the plethora of devices available from distributor Digi-Key is the LTC6930 family of low-power precision silicon oscillators. These devices feature fixed frequencies from 32.768 kHz to 8.192 MHz. Drawing only 105 uA at 32 kHz and requiring one 1.7-to-5.5-V supply, the LTC6930 can operate from two unregulated nickel-cadmium batteries. While most oscillators exhibit a startup time greater than 1 ms, the LTC6930 guarantees a startup time of less than 110 s. Five versions are available. Each one has a unique master frequency as well as digitally controlled frequency dividers that give eight different frequencies per device. Frequency shifting is accomplished within a single clock cycle and without glitches. The 0.09-percent frequency tolerance makes the LTC6930 suitable for many applications including serial port communications and microprocessor clocks. P&A: available now.