Abstract: A sensor includes a microcontroller coupled to a sensing oscillator, a reference oscillator, an environmental sensor, and a communication medium. The sensing oscillator may be less than two inches long and contain a component that changes in oscillation frequency in response to an aerosol particle, liquid-borne analyte, and/or chemical vapor attaching, depositing, and/or interacting with an outer surface of the component. The reference oscillator and environmental sensor may be used to calibrate the sensing oscillator. Data from the sensing oscillator, the reference oscillator and/or the environmental sensor is transferred to an external source by the communication medium.

Abstract: Described is a frequency synthesizer having a wide output frequency range and small frequency tuning steps. In-band spurious components are maintained at low levels and phase noise is significantly reduced. The frequency synthesizer can be fabricated as an integrated circuit device having a small area and low power dissipation. The frequency synthesizer can be used in wideband frequency systems to reduce cost and size by replacing multiple frequency synthesizers each devoted to a portion of the overall system frequency range.

Abstract: Described is a frequency synthesizer having a wide output frequency range and small frequency tuning steps. In-band spurious components are maintained at low levels and phase noise is significantly reduced. The frequency synthesizer can be fabricated as an integrated circuit device having a small area and low power dissipation. The frequency synthesizer can be used in wideband frequency systems to reduce cost and size by replacing multiple frequency synthesizers each devoted to a portion of the overall system frequency range.