??? 10/17/05 16:36 Read: times |
#102492 - Yes, but... Responding to: ???'s previous message |
Errik said:
a quote (I do not remember which datasheet/user guide): " TAL2 may be used to drive one CMOS load" Yes, if this load is sitting next to the XTAL2-pin. But keep in mind how the current is actually flowing: Not only into the additional CMOS load pin, but also into this chip, through it, to the GND pin of this additional CMOS chip, and finally back to the ground of decoupling capacitor of main micro. This can form an enormous loop, even if the additional CMOS chip pin is sitting next to the main micro. Now, let be some noise on the ground plane, or let even the user omit any ground plane, then signal integrity is heavily eroded and the level of XTAL2-signal becomes rather unpredictable. Also, remember, that this XTAL2-pin isn't a regular digital output, but there's also some current limiting impedance to limit crystal drive level. You might run a regular digital output signal (50 Ohmm source impedance) across the board but not a typical XTAL2-signal. So, running this XTAL2-signal across the board is always dangerous, whether there's a theoretical capability to drive an additional CMOS load or not. And it cannot be recommended at all to use the XTAL2-signal as "general purpose" signal. By the way, measuring correct signal level at XTAL2-pin is an art, due to the same reasons as above. Standard osci probe contributes a complex load to Pierce-oscillator which is always a mess, because oscillation performance is so heavily interfered, that level measurment makes no sense at all. Only by the help of sophisticated and expensive FET-probes showing ultra low stray capacitance and stray inductance you can get an idea of this XTAL2-signal. Not more, only an idea... Kai |