A crystal oscillator (sometimes abbreviated to XTAL on schematic diagrams) is an electronic circuit that uses the mechanical resonance of a physical crystal of piezoelectric material along with an amplifier and feedback to create an electrical signal with a very precise frequency. It is an especially accurate form of an electronic oscillator. This frequency is used to keep track of time (as in quartz wristwatches), to provide a stable clock signal for digital integrated circuits, and to stabilize frequencies for radio transmitters. Crystal oscillators are a common source of time and frequency signals. The crystal used therein is sometimes called a "timing crystal".

Crystal Oscillator Circuit