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I will be using the AT32UC3C2512C, the AVR32768 Application note recommends 22pF capacitors for crystals up to 16MHz...I will be using a 20MHz crystal, should I choose a 22pF or a 15pF loading capacitor?

EDIT:

As requested:

20MHz: 7B-20.000MEEQ-T

16MHz: ABM3B-16.000MHZ-10-1-U-T

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mFeinstein
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  • can you please share the datasheets of the crystals, you are going to use, usually loading capacitor values are specified in datasheet, check this http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/75704/why-use-capacitors-with-crystals – AKR Aug 25 '13 at 03:24
  • Yes, I have all the values, but the formula in the MCU datasheet asks for the PCB capacitance also..which I have no clue... – mFeinstein Aug 25 '13 at 03:30
  • The datasheet specifies the load cap to be 18pf for the ABM3B crystal – AKR Aug 25 '13 at 03:38
  • Related/similar: http://electronics.stackexchange.com/q/7807/2028 and http://electronics.stackexchange.com/q/39103/2028 – JYelton Aug 25 '13 at 04:00
  • Also http://electronics.stackexchange.com/q/14532/2028 – JYelton Aug 25 '13 at 04:09
  • @AnandKumarRai - No, it does not. 18pF is the default for the family, but the specific part linked is specified at 10pF. – Chris Stratton Aug 25 '13 at 04:21

2 Answers2

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A section on crystal oscillator characteristics is on page 1255 of the AT32UC3C series datasheet (complete as opposed to summary).

Excerpt from datasheet

The value of CLEXT is based on the formula:

$$2(C_L - C_I) - C_{PCB}$$

The 20MHz crystal you selected, for example, has a 10pF load capacitance (\$C_L\$), denoted by the "Q" near the end of its part number (See the part numbering reference). The internal equivalent load capacitance (\$C_I\$) is 1.7 pF (per page 1256 of the AT32UC3C datasheet). This leaves just the PCB (stray) capacitance (\$C_{PCB}\$) to be determined. That can get complicated, so we'll use a "rule of thumb" of 5pF.

$$2(10 - 1.7) - 5 = 11.6pF$$

For more information see:

JYelton
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  • A difference from 15pF to 11.6pF wont matter much right? – mFeinstein Aug 25 '13 at 04:22
  • Possibly not. The stray capacitance of your board may vary by at least that amount, so you may just have to experiment. I think the Freescale document is most helpful for understanding/determining stray capacitance, but as I mentioned, it's complicated. – JYelton Aug 25 '13 at 04:25
  • what are the results of a bad capacitor selection? Just inaccurate clock frequency or something else like no clock at all or erratic behaviour? – mFeinstein Aug 25 '13 at 04:29
  • Frequency instability mostly, but no clock can also happen (the crystal will fail to resonate). – JYelton Aug 25 '13 at 04:33
  • 10pF or 15pF, what do you think? (Honestly I don't think there is going to be any difference since Cstray is estimated) – mFeinstein Aug 25 '13 at 04:40
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    Based on the math and the crystal's load capacitance, I'd use 10pF. But don't quote me on that, especially if you order up a thousand production units based on this. :) – JYelton Aug 25 '13 at 04:56
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If you are going to do this for a prototype don't even bother looking it up, either one will work.

If it's for production take a deeper look at the AT32UC3C2512C datasheet.

arthur.b
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  • I already took a deep look...can't find a straight answer there...only if I know the PCB capacitance..which I dont.. – mFeinstein Aug 25 '13 at 02:59