Xtal transistor oscillator driving 2 PIC micros - 4 MHz

[atferrari]

Initially I implemented a 4 MHz clock driving 2 PIC micros, using 2 inverters, one of them as a buffer (74HC04). To avoid the waste of space (the other 4 gates do nothing) I tried a transistor oscillator and buffer from an ARRL book but couldn't have it working. In my implementation space is at a premium.
Can anyone show me a really working circuit?
BTW: input should be a 4 MHz square wave or kind of a sine wave? If so, what pk to pk value? No experience on this.
Thanks for any help.

[hgmjr]

Have you considered a clock oscillator (http://rocky.digikey.com/WebLib/Epson/Web%20Data/SG-51,531%20Series.pdf) IC? This is one from EPSON that comes in a 4.000 MHz version. They are available for around $3 from Digikey.

hgmjr

[beenthere]

Hi,

The clock should be a square wave. Also, the clock oscillator that hqmjr mentions may be had in 1/2 size packages for tight spaces.

[pebe]

I don't know which PIC you are using. If it has two pins OSCin and OSCout with the xtal between them and a cap from each to ground, then the 'in' pin will be high Z and the 'out' pin low Z.

You can then wire direct from the OSCout of the first PIC to the OSCin of the second one.