Page 18 - EngineerIt March 2021

ELECTRONICS

Microchip's TimeProvider introduces

a new level of redundancy,

resilience and security

IEEE 1588 precise timing grandmaster with gateway clock is the industry’s first to offer
®
software-based redundancy.

or today’s critical infrastructure providers necessary to mitigate security risks to critical infrastructure,” said Randy Brudzinski,
– 5G wireless networks, smart grids, vice president and general manager of Microchip’s frequency and time business unit.
Fdata centers, cable and transportation “This latest release brings an innovative software redundancy that enables always-
services – a fundamental need exists for a on technology as well as support for multiband GNSS to eliminate ionospheric time
redundant, resilient and secure precise timing error delays. It provides new key security, anti-jamming and anti-spoofing, so critical
and synchronisation solution. infrastructure services can be accessed only by authorised, authenticated personnel.”
Microchip Technology introduced its In addition, the TM4100 provides a super, oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO)
TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.2 grandmaster option for enhanced holdover capabilities in case of GNSS disruption.
®
(TM4100), providing a new level of resilience The TM4100 is a family of products with hardware expansion modules for legacy
with the introduction of an innovative fan-out or Ethernet fan-out with 10 gigabit Ethernet support. It can be configured
redundancy architecture, in addition to support in specific operation modes to act either as a gateway clock, a high-performance
for a multiband Global Navigation Satellite boundary clock or an ePRTC.
System (GNSS) receiver and enhanced The TM4100 embeds additional Microchip technology including its OCXO, super
security to ensure always-on precise timing OCXO, rubidium atomic clock, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Ethernet
and synchronisation. switch, synthesisers and cleaning oscillators.
Redundancy is key for infrastructure The TM4100 is part of Microchip’s virtual Primary Reference Time Clock (vPRTC)
providers to ensure uninterrupted services. product portfolio, offering end-to-end precise time and synchronisation solutions.
Infrastructure deployments previously These include cesium atomic clocks for source of frequency and time, the BlueSky™
relied on hardware redundancy to avoid GNSS firewall for security, TimeProvider 4100 high-performance boundary clock and
service disruption despite costly modular TimeProvider 4100 gateway clocks, as well as the TimePictra software suite, which
architectures. Microchip’s TM4100 manages the end-to-end precise time architecture across all Microchip timing products.
grandmaster provides redundancy via
software implementation, enabling flexible Service and Support
deployment and lower hardware costs without Microchip’s TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.2 grandmaster offers several options
sacrificing ports. for software and hardware support including installation, sync audits, network
In addition, the TM4100 introduces an engineering and 24/7 worldwide support. TM4100 is available now for both new and
increased level of resilience by supporting already-deployed systems. Contact a Microchip salesperson or channel partner for
a new GNSS multi-band, multi-constellation ordering details. n
receiver to protect against time delay
resulting from space weather, solar events
and other disruptions that may impact critical
infrastructure services. Multiband GNSS is
particularly important for the highest levels
of accuracy, including Primary Reference
Time Clock Class B (PRTC-B) (40 ns) and
Enhanced Primary Reference Time Clock
(ePRTC) (30 ns).
With a focus on security solutions across
its technology portfolio, TM4100 adds support
for RADIUS and TACACS+ as well as new
anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities.
“Resilient, redundant and secure precise
timing and synchronisation solutions are

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