Crystal oscillators are one of the fundamental building blocks of electronic systems.
Where microprocessors are used in personal computers and embedded applications, there crystal oscillators help to maintain stable frequencies. Crystals are also being used in video cameras and optical systems, automotive electronic systems, and networking applications. But while crystal oscillators keep frequencies stable, they have their own ups and downs in the marketplace. If 1999 was a year of suppliers' struggling with plunging prices in a market still emerging from a severe downturn, suppliers now are trying to keep up with insatiable demand, while prices have for the most part stabilized. It seems there's just no rest for the quartz-crystal manager.