Importance

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Abstract

A clocking system for providing periodic clocking or timing signals for use in an electronic circuit. The system includes a primary clock source, such as a crystal oscillator, that provides periodic clocking or timing signals at a predetermined frequency, and a back-up clock source that is similarly capable of providing periodic clocking or timing signals at the same predetermined frequency. The clocking signals of the primary source are monitored by a fault detecting circuit, such as a frequency monitoring circuit, which checks if the clock signals are occurring precisely at the predetermined frequency. If the frequency monitoring cirucit detects a frequency variation, or deviation, in the primary clocking source, a back-up clocking source is enabled which provides the clocking signals to the clock output terminal.

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First Claim