Patent ID: 6956443

Claim:
A differential oscillator circuit including first and second branches each connected between a high supply potential and a low supply potential, said first branch including, arranged in series: a first transistor having a control terminal, a first current terminal placed on the side of said high supply potential and a second current terminal placed on the side of said low supply potential; and first bias means for imposing a determined current through the first and second current terminals of the first transistor, said second branch including, arranged in series: a second transistor having a control terminal, a first current terminal placed on the side of said high supply potential and a second current terminal placed on the side of said low supply potential; and second bias means for imposing said determined current through the first and second current terminals of the second transistor, said first and second transistors being connected in a differential configuration, the first current terminal of the first transistor, respectively of the second transistor, being connected to the control terminal of the second transistor, respectively of the first transistor, wherein said differential oscillator circuit further includes: an electro-mechanical resonator connected via first and second terminals between the first current terminal of the first transistor and the first current terminal of the second transistor, said first and second terminals of the electro-mechanical resonator forming first and second output terminals of the differential oscillator circuit; and a capacitive element of determined capacitance value which is connected between the second current terminal of the first transistor and the second current terminal of the second transistor, the capacitance value of said capacitive element being selected so as to be less than a maximum value above which relaxation of the oscillator circuit can occur.