The device provides, according to the company, a new level of resiliency with the introduction of an innovative redundancy architecture in addition to support for a multiband Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver and enhanced security to ensure always-on precise timing and synchronization.
Redundancy is key for infrastructure providers to ensure uninterrupted services and where infrastructure deployments have previously relied on hardware redundancy to avoid service disruption despite costly modular architectures. Microchip’s TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.2 grandmaster is able to provide redundancy via software implementation, enabling more flexible deployments and lower hardware costs without sacrificing ports.
In addition, the TimeProvider 4100 introduces an increased level of resiliency by supporting a new GNSS multi-band, multi-constellation 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).
The TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.2 grandmaster adds support for RADIUS and TACACS+ as well as new anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities.
“Resilient, redundant and secure precise timing and synchronization solutions are necessary to mitigate security risks to critical infrastructure,” said Randy Brudzinski, vice president and general manager of Microchip's frequency and time business unit.
“This latest release brings an innovative software redundancy that enables always-on technology as well as support for multiband GNSS to eliminate ionospheric time error delays. It provides new key security, anti-jamming and anti-spoofing so critical infrastructure services can be accessed only by authorised, authenticated personnel.”
In addition, the TimeProvider 4100 provides a super Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) option for enhanced holdover capabilities in case of GNSS disruption.
The TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.2 grandmaster is part of family of products with hardware expansion modules for legacy fan-out or Ethernet fan-out with 10 Gigabit Ethernet support. It can be configured in specific operation modes to act either as a gateway clock, a high-performance boundary clock or an ePRTC.
The TimeProvider 4100 embeds additional Microchip technology including its OCXO, super OCXO, Rubidium atomic clock, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Ethernet switch, synthesizers and cleaning oscillators and is part of Microchip’s virtual Primary Reference Time Clock (vPRTC) product portfolio, which offers end-to-end precise time and synchronization solutions.
