Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT), is helping wireless carriers migrate to 5G networks with launch of its new IDT ClockMatrix family of multi-channel clocking devices. The family delivers best-in-class timing performance that exceeds the unprecedented 5G requirements for time precision while only requiring minimal changes to existing equipment designs. These devices are already used in 5G base stations, routers, switches and other networking equipment.
The superior performance of ClockMatrix devices makes them ideal for a broad range of networking, broadcast video, optical transport network (OTN) and industrial automation systems that require critical timing performance for clock generation, frequency translation, jitter attenuation and phase alignment.
The ClockMatrix family is comprised of three lines of devices:
- System Synchronisers, which generate telecom-compliant clocks for network equipment
- Port Synchronisers, for extending telecom-compliant clocks to the many ports in network equipment
- Universal Frequency Translators (UFT), which perform jitter attenuation, clock generation and frequency translation functions for general purpose applications.
“We recognised several years ago that the wireless carriers’ impending migration to 5G networks would require more precise time synchronisation, and so we designed our ClockMatrix family to both upgrade the time precision of existing network equipment as well as support new equipment designs to enable a smooth migration,” said Kris Rausch, vice president and general manager of IDT’s Timing Products Division. “ClockMatrix devices are the only timing solutions on the market to combine such performance and features with exceptional flexibility, which not only makes them excellent for 5G networking equipment, but a variety of other applications.”
The ClockMatrix devices’ combination of features and performance make them ideal for a variety of network devices used in both backhaul and fronthaul 5G applications. For example, they can make extremely accurate phase measurements on timing signals using their multiple inputs and precision time-to-digital converters (TDC), with some family members capable of measuring to less than 1 ps. Additionally, they offer precise control of input-to-output phase (as low as 1ps steps) along with excellent close-in phase noise performance.
The pulse width modulation (PWM) capability of the devices eliminates the need for customers to redesign existing backplanes. This allows manufacturers to get new line cards to market quickly and to target an existing installed base with a simple migration path. PWM can transmit and receive clocks, frames pulses and time-of-day (TOD) data in one signal.
The ClockMatrix family of synchronisers meet carriers’ constant time error (cTE) and G.8273.2 telecom boundary clock (T-BC) requirements. Their exceptional phase alignment performance makes the devices ideal for T-BC classes C and D, with demonstrated cTE performance better than 5 nanoseconds in customer systems.
Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @VanillaPlus OR @jcvplus
