Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today announced that it is expanding its market by introducing technology that provides faster processing speeds and high-precision timing sources without relying on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) today announced the availability of the TimeProvider® 4500 Grandmaster, a ground-based hardware timekeeping platform that enables network operators to distribute accurate time without relying on satellite systems.

The TimeProvider® 4500 Grandmaster provides high-speed network interfaces of up to 25 Gbps and delivers sub-nanosecond precision timing accuracy.

The TimeProvider® 4500 Grandmaster is a device capable of handling high-volume Precision Time Protocol (PTP) transactions, delivering higher IEEE-1588 scalability for thousands of clients through an innovative hardware platform.

In C-band 5G deployments, where the network needs to balance coverage and capacity, thousands of gNodeBs can be served from a single grandmaster.The ability to do so is very important.

The TimeProvider® 4500 Grandmaster can support very few or many gNodeB base stations depending on the installation location, enabling cost-effective and highly flexible network deployments regardless of the scale of operation.

Additionally, the TimeProvider® 4500 Grandmaster offers the flexibility to connect to multiple generations of network equipment, allowing network operators to leverage their existing infrastructure investments and reduce costs.

The TimeProvider® 4500 clock is the first 1588 grandmaster to support 25 Gbps, allowing customers to connect the TimeProvider 4500 clock to a variety of network devices with a choice of 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, or 25 Gbps network links.

Securing this high-speed bandwidth is essential as recent network equipment upgrades require high-speed data transmission from a minimum of 10 Gbps to a maximum of 100 Gbps.

The ultra-precise timing accuracy of the TimeProvider 4500 Grandmaster is particularly important for building solutions that can replace GNSS.

The ground-based option is considered a cost-effective solution as it leverages existing optical network infrastructure to reduce reliance on GNSS and transmit timing signals with very high accuracy over long distances.

This is because in long-distance transmission, the demand for higher accuracy in the source and regeneration process of timing signals increases.

The TimeProvider 4500 Grandmaster has been enhanced to support new hardware, including the latest digital synthesizers and Microchip's PolarFire® SoC FPGAs.

These platform improvementsThrough this, the system can achieve very precise timing accuracy in the picosecond range.

“Microchip continues to develop new and innovative time and frequency solutions for critical infrastructure,” said Randy Brudzinski, vice president of Microchip’s frequency and timing systems business unit. “The TimeProvider 4500 clock is designed to provide tighter timing accuracy in existing optical network environments without costly upgrades or dedicated dark fiber. This solution is the first grandmaster to support high-speed data throughput up to 25 Gbps, enabling it to connect to the latest network equipment as it is deployed.”