A mode-locked surface acoustic wave oscillator for sensor applications

We present an alternative technique, the mode-locked surface acoustic wave (SAW) oscillator, to measure the response of a SAW delay line sensor. In contrast to a conventional CW-oscillator, all oscillator modes which meet the oscillation condition are excited. Thus the oscillator becomes a pulse oscillator with a repetition rate given by the delay time of the SAW device. Instead of the RF-frequency, the much lower pulse repetition rate is measured.