Simulation of QCM sensors based on high stability classical oscillator configurations in damping media

To design the oscillators based on high stability classical configurations used in quartz crystal microbalance sensor systems (QCM), the simulation is essential due to the high complexity of the mathematical algorithms to be implemented. The nonlinear behaviour of the circuit oscillator, together with the mathematical models that describe the behaviour of the quartz-media resonant system, as well as the complexity of the design algorithms when optimizing the oscillator so that the oscillation remains in damping media, make the simulation a mandatory phase in the QCM system design task.In this paper, a simulation environment to aid designers in the development of quartz crystal microbalance sensors for damping media is presented. It helps to adapt the design to the application environment, so that the oscillation remains inspite of the large reduction of the quality factor that the quartz experiences in those media.