Abstract: A micropower, latch-up free, relaxation oscillator includes a switch such as a programmable unijunction transistor or a silicon-controlled-switch. The switch is coupled at its gate electrode via an emitter-follower circuit of low output impedance, to a source of reference potential provided by a relatively high resistance resistive voltage divider. The condition of the switch, whether conducting or not, is controlled by a resistor-capacitor timing circuit. When the capacitor charges to a given level, it causes the switch to conduct and to act as a discharge circuit for the capacitor. When the capacitor discharges to a second level, the switch goes off and the cycle then repeats.