Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) has launched the TimeProvider 4500 v3 (TP4500) grandmaster clock, a high-precision solution enabling sub-nanosecond time transfer over terrestrial optical networks up to 800 kilometers. The new system addresses a growing global push for resilient alternatives to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in critical infrastructure, including telecommunications, utilities, transportation, government, and defense sectors.
Governments worldwide are increasingly requiring operators to supplement GNSS-based timing with terrestrial alternatives to safeguard against potential service disruptions, interference, or physical obstructions. The TP4500 provides a reliable, terrestrial-based timing source, allowing operators to maintain synchronization independently of GNSS signals. By integrating advanced hardware and software features, the TP4500 delivers precise, resilient, and secure timing where uninterrupted operations are critical.
The system supports UTC(k) time provided by national laboratories and is the first grandmaster to implement High Accuracy Time Transfer (HA-TT) as defined in ITU-T G.8271.1/Y.1366.1 (01/2024). HA-TT enables the TP4500 to achieve 5-nanosecond time delay across 800 kilometers, translating to an average 500 picoseconds per node in a ten-node network, establishing a new benchmark for long-haul time transfer accuracy.
Multiple operating modes allow the TP4500 to form a virtual Primary Reference Time Clock (vPRTC) architecture. This carrier-grade, end-to-end terrestrial system ensures stable, network-wide timing while providing a cost-effective and widely deployable alternative to other positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solutions, which remain largely GNSS-dependent and less mature in critical infrastructure applications.
Randy Brudzinski, corporate vice president of Microchip’s frequency and time systems business unit, said, “The TimeProvider 4500 v3 grandmaster enables operators to deploy a standards-based terrestrial timing network with unprecedented precision and resilience. It reflects Microchip’s ongoing commitment to delivering reliable solutions for the world’s essential services.”
The TP4500 also aligns with ITU-T G.8272.2 standards for coherent network reference time clocks (cnPRTC), providing highly accurate, resilient, and robust network-wide timekeeping even during GNSS outages. The platform integrates Microchip’s PolarFire® FPGA and Azurite synthesizer to deliver exceptional precision and supports seamless integration with existing Ethernet and optical networks.
Designed for scalability and long-term deployment, the TP4500 joins Microchip’s existing portfolio of IEEE®-1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) grandmaster clocks. These field-proven solutions range from indoor, low-density networks to high-capacity 5G deployments, offering operators industry-leading timing performance and flexibility. Production quantities of the TimeProvider 4500 v3 are now available.
