In this paper, a new chaotic circuit is introduced, conceived by considering a Colpitts oscillator with the inclusion of two further elements: a coupled inductor and a variable resistor. The proposed circuit exhibits a rich dynamics that has been experimentally characterized through the bifurcation diagram with respect to the resistor value. The main result that can be derived from the analysis of the new circuit leads to a simple way to control chaos in the chaotic Colpitts oscillator by varying a single external control parameter. The same technique has then been applied to the classical periodic Colpitts oscillator, demonstrating how in this way the oscillation frequency can be controlled.
