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[Reply #45 on:]

This all too common sloppy practice of calling a crystal resonator just a crystal and a ceramic resonator just a resonator has lead many beginners off to a rather poor understanding of such components and how they actually work.

Nothing personal, just a pet peeve.  

Lefty

How long has that sloppy practice been going on?

Not sure but, too long in my opinion.  
But I will go along with your pet peeves if you go along with mine.

Lefty

I'm cool with that.   I just wondered because I never heard crystals called anything else until recently. I thought "crystal resonator" was coined to distinguish crystals from "ceramic resonators" which are more recent than crystals as a frequency generating/controlling device.

Well it would different if people short cut it to crystal Vs ceramic but instead call it crystal Vs resonator when both are resonators just rubs me the wrong way. It's not unlike when a new comer might (and often do) asks if he should "use a transistor or use a mosfet to control a relay" and one then has to explain what the T in mosfet stands for.  

Lefty

Ah, I get it. I agree.

[Reply #46 on:]

Now I'm confused.  Is there a difference between a quartz crystal resonator and what you are calling a "crystal resonator"?  I've been under the impression that there were two basic types here, ceramic resonators (which I have been referring to as simply resonators) and quartz crystals (that I've been just calling crystals).  Is there more to this resonator/crystal thingy that I'm missing?

[Reply #47 on:]

Now I'm confused.  Is there a difference between a quartz crystal resonator and what you are calling a "crystal resonator"?  I've been under the impression that there were two basic types here, ceramic resonators (which I have been referring to as simply resonators) and quartz crystals (that I've been just calling crystals).  Is there more to this resonator/crystal thingy that I'm missing?

No, one could even properly call one a quartz crystal resonator and the other a ceramic crystal resonator, as both are of a crystalline structure, just different material, quartz Vs ceramic. So one can be as specific or vague and assumptive as they want to be, but my point is/was that both are passive resonator components.

[Reply #48 on:]

I did some digging around and it does appear that the "ceramic" family includes both quartz and PZT "resonators" and both are crystaline structures that have piezoelectric traits.  But, when you say quartz then there appears to be no ambiguity.  What do you folks think? 

[Reply #49 on:]

So now we have to say "ceramic quartz resonators" or "ceramic PZT resonators", as well
as "quartz crystal resonators"? Can't we just add a couple more qualifiers on there too?
The more, the merrier? Got to be 100% accurate here. So, maybe "ceramic quartz
crystalline piezoelectric resonators" and "ceramic PZT crystalline piezoelectric resonators".
We say what we mean, and we mean what we say, after all.

[Reply #50 on:]

So now we have to say "ceramic quartz resonators" or "ceramic PZT resonators", as well
as "quartz crystal resonators"? Can't we just add a couple more qualifiers on there too?
The more, the merrier? Got to be 100% accurate here. So, maybe "ceramic quartz
crystalline piezoelectric resonators" and "ceramic PZT crystalline piezoelectric resonators".
We say what we mean, and we mean what we say, after all.

Why not add the slice format of the crystal in there too?  And whether it has built in load capacitors?

A typical 32.768KHz watch crystal would be: "Quartz tuning fork crystalline piezoelectric resonator without load capacitors."

[Reply #51 on:]

So now we have to say "ceramic quartz resonators" or "ceramic PZT resonators", as well
as "quartz crystal resonators"? Can't we just add a couple more qualifiers on there too?
The more, the merrier? Got to be 100% accurate here. So, maybe "ceramic quartz
crystalline piezoelectric resonators" and "ceramic PZT crystalline piezoelectric resonators".
We say what we mean, and we mean what we say, after all.

Why not add the slice format of the crystal in there too?  And whether it has built in load capacitors?

A typical 32.768KHz watch crystal would be: "Quartz tuning fork crystalline piezoelectric resonator without load capacitors."

You are certainly free to call them whatever you want. My point was our jargon and appreciations are often not understood well by beginners and gets them off the path of 'true knowledge'. "Should I use a transistor or a mosfet" is an example that should have explained my point.

Lefty

[Reply #52 on:]

So now we have to say "ceramic quartz resonators" or "ceramic PZT resonators", as well
as "quartz crystal resonators"? Can't we just add a couple more qualifiers on there too?
The more, the merrier? Got to be 100% accurate here. So, maybe "ceramic quartz
crystalline piezoelectric resonators" and "ceramic PZT crystalline piezoelectric resonators".
We say what we mean, and we mean what we say, after all.

Why not add the slice format of the crystal in there too?  And whether it has built in load capacitors?

A typical 32.768KHz watch crystal would be: "Quartz tuning fork crystalline piezoelectric resonator without load capacitors."

You are certainly free to call them whatever you want. My point was our jargon and appreciations are often not understood well by beginners and gets them off the path of 'true knowledge'. "Should I use a transistor or a mosfet" is an example that should have explained my point.

Lefty

I'm surprised I didn't see you in this thread: http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,150613.0.html

[Reply #53 on:]

A typical 32.768KHz watch crystal would be: "Quartz tuning fork crystalline piezoelectric resonator without load capacitors."

I kind of liked this one until I got to the point where it said "piezoelectric resonator without
load capacitors", and then I was confused as to whether you were talking about a crystal or 
[what some refer to as] a resonator, but luckily I was able to see the "watch crystal" bit - and
then I knew exactly what you meant, ;-). Darn, this is really complicated, and I've never ever
been confused previously, for lo these many years.

[Reply #54 on:]

A typical 32.768KHz watch crystal would be: "Quartz tuning fork crystalline piezoelectric resonator without load capacitors."

I kind of liked this one until I got to the point where it said "piezoelectric resonator without
load capacitors", and then I was confused as to whether you were talking about a crystal or 
[what some refer to as] a resonator, but luckily I was able to see the "watch crystal" bit - and
then I knew exactly what you meant, ;-). Darn, this is really complicated, and I've never ever
been confused previously, for lo these many years.

An age old question, is it better to live in blessful ignorance or be aware of the true complications of life?
Your life, your choice. 
Lefty