SAW Oscillators In UHF Transit Satellite Links

A 375-MHz surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) resonator controlled oscillator was developed for application in the Transit satellite marine navigation system. The SAW oscillator, in a 2-in/sup 3/ hybrid package, contains a heater, voltage regulator, and divider and is a direct replacement for a bulk wave oscillator and its multiplier chain. A short term stability of 2E - 10 and an aging rate of 3E - 8/day were achieved at 75°C. Comparison tests showed that the accuracy of the navigation system with the SAW oscillator was equivalent to the accuracy using the bulk oscillator.