Crystal Load Capacitor Calculator
embedcalc_crystal_load_capsCalculate the two external load capacitors for a crystal from its load capacitance and stray capacitance to prevent frequency errors.
Instructions
Compute the two external load capacitors for a crystal from its specified load capacitance: CL = C/2 + Cstray -> C = 2·(CL − Cstray).
Args: load_capacitance_pf (from crystal datasheet, e.g. 18), stray_pf (PCB+pin stray, typ. 3-5). Returns (structured): { cap_each_pf }. Example: CL=18pF, stray=5pF -> 26 pF each side. Wrong load caps = frequency pulling; don't guess.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| stray_pf | No | Stray capacitance (PCB traces + MCU pins) in pF, typ. 3-5 | |
| load_capacitance_pf | Yes | Crystal's specified CL in pF |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| cap_each_pf | Yes |