2025-06-27 7:17 AM - last edited on 2025-06-27 8:17 AM by mƎALLEm
Hello,
A design I am working on utilizes a LSE crystal with the following parameters:
f = 32.768kHz
CL = 12.5pF
Co = 0.9pF
ESR = 50kR Max
DL = 1uW MAX
I am calculating gmcrit ~ 1.52uA/V. According to table 5 in AN2867, the drive level should be set to Medium High, will REXT required? The design is already produced without REXT so adding it is not advised if avoidable.
I don't have the instrumentation to measure the actual drive level as it requires ~0.1pF probes for proper measurement. There is no indication of LSE max drive current for the H7, the datasheet only specifies 550nA IDD at medium high.
Should I be concerned that Medium High may violate 1uW?
Thanks
2025-06-27 7:37 AM - edited 2025-06-27 7:38 AM
Hello @jmh299 and welcome to the ST community,
Rext is required only if If DL > DLcrystal.
Please refer to the application note AN2867 "Guidelines for oscillator design on STM8AF/AL/S and STM32 MCUs/MPUs":
Please also refer to the section 3.5 Drive level and external resistor calculation in the same application note
Hope that helps.
2025-06-27 7:47 AM
I have read AN2867, unfortunately I do not have the instrumentation to perform these measurements accurately. I was not sure if there was any rule of thumb regarding the drive level setting and the drive current.
Thanks
2025-06-27 7:52 AM
You need at least to measure VPP with an oscilloscope, otherwise you cannot continue:
2025-06-27 8:06 AM
I do not have a 0.1pF probe to make an accurate measurement, I can attempt to but I believe a standard probe will affect the measurement as it will greatly impact the load capacitance.
2025-06-27 8:14 AM
The probe should not exceed 1pF of capacitance not 0.1pF:
2025-06-27 8:20 AM - edited 2025-06-27 8:28 AM
Ok in the note it indicates it should not exceed 0.1pF (for the voltage measurement)
I need to escalate that internally for the verification (for the current measurement)
2025-06-27 9:48 AM
Just as an update, I measured with my lab equipment albeit not 0.1pF-1pF per suggested as we don't have that kind of instrumentation.
Used a standard 18.5-22.5pF passive probe.
Measured 224mV Pk-Pk on Medium High.
If using the combined capacitance of the passive probe(18.5-22.5pF) and the oscilloscope (18pF) itself ~0.0373uW seems awfully low and well within spec but not sure how much my measurement method is affecting this.
Thanks