Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC), a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, today announced the availability of miTimePLL™, a new family of network synchronization phase-locked loops (PLLs) for Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE), IEEE 1588 and optical transport network (OTN). The new products have one third the jitter and half the footprint of current devices, which, in combination with the company’s new miTimePLL technology, is specifically designed to address the demands of phase alignment performance required by networks such as wireless infrastructure.
The standards for wireless infrastructure networks using 4G, LTE-A and future 5G are demanding more stringent performance. For example 3GPP calls for alignment better than 65 nanoseconds (ns) between base stations when using advanced technologies such as multiple input, multiple output (MIMO). The miTimePLL devices provide advanced network synchronization capabilities for phase alignment specifically for the wireless infrastructure.
“Microsemi has a long history in IEEE 1588 PLL devices dating back to 2008 with our first product introduction, and our 1588 solutions are widely used within tier 1 telecommunications equipment vendors. We continue to invest strongly to drive our technologies forward, meeting new challenges to stay ahead of the competition with ultra-low jitter on our new miTimePLL devices—providing a highly integrated, cost-effective solution for our customers,” said Maamoun Seido, vice president and business unit manager of Microsemi’s timing products. “Customers can remain confident in our capabilities, as these products enable them to handle phase alignment seamlessly within their equipment with a smaller footprint and attractive price point.”
Microsemi’s ZL307xx and ZL306xx family of network synchronization PLLs offers an impressive 180 femtoseconds (fs) typical jitter, ensuring a single chip, small footprint, low cost synchronization solution for 10GbE to 100GbE applications. These devices come with new features vital for network applications requiring phase alignment, including any-to-any frequency, better than 2 ns input/output (I/O) alignment, embedded 1 pulse per second (ePPS), time of day (ToD) registers, reference/synchronization inputs, and full monitoring and hitless reference switching between GPS/SyncE/1588. Microsemi’s ePPS is already providing a simple solution for chassis systems with limited backplane pins by combining phase into a high speed clock, thereby using a single pin, where before two were required.
With the continued growth of data intensive applications lead by video services, access infrastructure is under extreme pressure. As a result, cable operators are aggressively deploying the new Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) architecture. As part of this deployment, the DOCSIS standard calls for the use of IEEE 1588 synchronization to the Remote PHY node. The new miTimePLL devices from Microsemi have been designed to address this application seamlessly.
According to market research firm IHS Technology, cable operators continue to invest heavily in CCAP solutions in order to increase their bandwidth offering to compete with telecommunications companies on the drive to gigabit speeds. The firm’s June 2016 report estimates CCAP will provide an 11.7 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2015 to 2020.
Learn more at www.microsemi.com.