Fast starting circuit for crystal oscillators

1. A method for assisting the oscillation starting process of an electromechanical oscillator, comprising a feedback method with the following steps:

a) detecting oscillator oscillations which occur in an output signal from the electromechanical oscillator;

b) generating an enable signal during an oscillation of the oscillator;

c) generating an excitation pulse on the basis of a detected oscillator oscillation and the enable signal;

d) feeding of the excitation pulse to the electromechanical oscillator; and

e) determining, with a counter which uses a clock signal, the time or times at which the enable signal causes the excitation pulse or pulses to be fed to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein a plurality of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator, by carrying out the feedback method repeatedly,

wherein groups of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator periodically, with each group comprising at least one excitation pulse,

wherein no excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator during the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses,

wherein the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses is longer than the time period between two subsequent pulses in any group of excitation pulses.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the detection of the oscillator oscillations comprises the following steps:

amplifying oscillator oscillations which occur in the output signal from the electromechanical oscillator; and

generating a clock signal on the basis of the amplified oscillator oscillations.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a time at which the enable signal causes the generation of the excitation pulse is predetermined.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the enable signal is produced with the aid of the clock signal.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a predetermined number of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator within one group of excitation pulses, with the excitation pulses in the groups being generated on the basis of successive, detected oscillator oscillations.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the oscillator oscillations of the electromechanical oscillator which exceed a threshold value are detected.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the electromechanical oscillator comprises a piezoelectric crystal oscillator.

8. An apparatus for assisting the oscillation starting process of an electromechanical oscillator, comprising:

a detection unit for detection of oscillator oscillations which occur in an output signal from the electromechanical oscillator;

a unit for production of an enable signal during an oscillation of the oscillator;

a pulse generator operable to receive the enable signal and to generate an excitation pulse on the basis of a detected oscillator oscillation which is fed to the electromechanical oscillator on the basis of the enable signal; and

a counter which uses a clock signal to determine the time or times at which the enable signal causes the excitation pulse or pulses to be fed to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein the unit for production of the enable signal is operable to cause a plurality of excitation pulses to be fed to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein the unit for production of the enable signal is operable to cause groups of excitation pulses to be fed to the electromechanical oscillator periodically, with each group comprising at least one excitation pulse,

wherein the unit for production of the enable signal is operable to ensure that no excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator during the time periods between the generation of the groups of excitation pulses

wherein the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses is longer than the time period between two subsequent pulses in any group of excitation pulses.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the detection unit is operable to amplify oscillator oscillations which occur in the output signal from the electromechanical oscillator, and to generate a clock signal on the basis of the amplified oscillator oscillations.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the detection unit comprises an inverter chain and at least one of the inverters in the inverter chain is operated at the triple point.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first inverter in the inverter chain detects those oscillator oscillations in the electromechanical oscillator which exceed a threshold value, and this first inverter is in the form of a Schmitt trigger.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the pulse generator comprises a univibrator, and an RC element is arranged in the delay path of the univibrator.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the counter is operable to produce the enable signal with the aid of the clock signal.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the unit for production of the enable signal is operable to cause a predetermined number of excitation pulses to be fed to the electromechanical oscillator within one group of excitation pulses, with the excitation pulses in the groups being generated on the basis of successive detected oscillator oscillation.

15. An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the electromechanical oscillator comprises a piezoelectric crystal oscillator.

16. An oscillator circuit comprising:

an oscillator unit with an electromechanical oscillator configured to provide an output signal;

a detection unit configured to detect oscillator oscillations which occur in the output signal from the electromechanical oscillator;

a unit configured to produce an enable signal during an oscillation of the oscillator;

pulse generator configured to receive the enable signal and generate an excitation pulse based on a detected oscillator oscillation which is fed to the electromechanical oscillator based on the enable signal; and

a counter which uses a clock signal to determine the time or times at which the enable signal causes the excitation pulse or pulses to be fed to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein the unit configured to produce the enable signal is operable to cause a plurality of excitation pulses to be fed to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein the unit configured to produce the enable signal is operable to cause groups of excitation pulses to be fed to the electromechanical oscillator periodically, with each group comprising at least one excitation pulse,

wherein the unit configured to produce the enable signal is operable to ensure that no excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator during the time periods between the generation of the groups of excitation pulses,

wherein the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses is longer than the time period between two subsequent pulses in any group of excitation pulses.

17. An oscillator circuit according to claim 16 , wherein the oscillator unit is in the form of a Colpitz oscillator.

18. A method for assisting the oscillation starting process of an electromechanical oscillator, comprising a feedback method comprising:

a) detecting oscillator oscillations which occur in an output signal from the electromechanical oscillator;

b) generating an excitation pulse based on a detected oscillator oscillation;

c) feeding of the excitation pulse to the electromechanical oscillator synchronously in phase with respect to the detected oscillator oscillation; and

d) determining, with a counter which uses a clock signal, the time or times at which the excitation pulse or pulses is fed to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein a plurality of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator, by carrying out the feedback method repeatedly,

wherein groups of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator periodically, with each group comprising at least one excitation pulse,

wherein no excitation pulses are fed to the electrotmechanical oscillator during the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses,

wherein the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses is longer than the time period between two subsequent pulses in any group of excitation pulses.

19. An apparatus configured to assist the oscillation starting process of an electromechanical oscillator, comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect oscillator oscillations which occur in an output signal from the electromechanical oscillator;

a pulse generator configured to generate an excitation pulse based on a detected oscillator oscillation which is fed to the electromechanical oscillator synchronously in phase with respect to the detected oscillator oscillation; and

a counter which uses a clock signal to determine the time or times at which the excitation pulse or pulses is fed to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein a plurality of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein groups of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator periodically, with each group comprising at least one excitation pulse,

wherein no excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator during the time period between feedine of the groups of excitation pulses

wherein the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses is longer than the time period between two subsequent pulses in any group of excitation pulses.

20. A method for assisting the oscillation starting process of an electromechanical oscillator, comprising a feedback method comprising:

a) detecting oscillator oscillations which occur in an output signal from the electromechanical oscillator;

b) generating an enable signal during an oscillation of the oscillator;

c) generating an excitation pulse sequence having a pre-determined number of excitation pulses based on a detected oscillator oscillation and the enable signal; and

d) feeding the excitation pulse sequence to the electromechanical oscillator,

wherein a plurality of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator, by carrying out the feedback method repeatedly,

wherein groups of excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator periodically, with each group comprising at least one excitation pulse,

wherein no excitation pulses are fed to the electromechanical oscillator during the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses,

wherein the time period between feeding of the groups of excitation pulses is longer than the time period between two subsequent pulses in any group of excitation pulses.