23-08-2021 | Microchip Technology | Test & Measurement
Chip Scale Atomic Clocks (CSACs) ensure stable and accurate timing even when GNSS time signals are unavailable. Assisting industrial and defence system designers to satisfy this demand, Microchip Technology now offers its new SA65 CSAC, giving precise timing accuracy and stability in extreme environments.
This CSAC is an embedded timing solution with enhanced environmental ruggedness, achieving higher performance than the previous SA.45s CSAC, including twice the frequency stability across a wider temperature range and faster warm-up at cold temperatures. The device offers an operating temperature range of -40C to 80C and a storage temperature range of -55C to 105C. The warm-up time of two minutes at -40C is 33% faster than that of the SA.45s.
Together, these CSAC performance improvements help designers of highly portable solutions for defence applications such as A-PNT and C5ISR, necessitating precise frequencies generated by a low SWaP atomic clock. Advances such as fast warm-up to frequency after cold start, temperature stability over a broad operating range, and frequency accuracy and stability facilitating extended operation while GNSS is denied aid mission success in conflict environments.
The CSAC is the world’s lowest-power commercial atomic clock and offers precise timing for portable and battery-powered applications needing continuous operation and holdover in GNSS-denied environments. The device is form, fit and function-compatible with the SA.45s, which reduces risk and redesign costs for the system developer while increasing performance and environmental insensitivity.
The CSAC family of atomic clocks is supported by the Developer Kit 990-00123-000, as well as associated software, a user guide and technical support.