Sand 9 Inc. became the first micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) company to achieve the stringent low-noise, high-stability and harsh environmental requirements for precision timing in communications infrastructure, industrial and military applications. As the first product based on Sand 9’s patented Temperature Compensated MEMS Oscillator (TCMO™) platform – which features the industry’s highest-performance MEMS architecture – the TM651 offers system designers a better alternative to existing quartz and MEMS-based timing solutions.

The TM651 exceeds the performance of quartz in several ways, offering exceptional activity dip suppression, superior shock and vibration immunity, and outstanding electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection. The end result is an extremely reliable timing source that enables better system design, quality, reliability and performance. The TM651 also provides 100 times better electromechanical coupling over conventional electrostatic MEMS architectures. This produces a significantly higher signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio, supporting far greater performance than any other MEMS solution.

“While every electronic application needs a timing device in order to function, quartz-based products have been historically slow to evolve,” said Vince Graziani, CEO, Sand 9. “The TM651 is a major step forward in that evolution. It delivers greater precision and higher reliability than competitive solutions, which is critically important for large communications infrastructure systems, such as data center switches, Ethernet communications and point-to-point radios – applications for which packet loss or loss of signal is simply not acceptable. These attributes are equally crucial for thousands of different high-value industrial and military applications.”

Sand 9 is working closely with a number of leading analog semiconductor partners to provide reference designs for their synthesizer and timing products. Peter Real, vice president, High Speed Products and Technology, Analog Devices, commented: “As a leading supplier into communications infrastructure, industrial and military markets, Analog Devices is committed to exploring technologies that may improve the experience of our customers. Having initially invested in Sand 9 late last year, we are pleased to see them launch their first precision MEMS timing product.”

About the TM651

The TM651 is a voltage controlled and temperature compensated MEMS oscillator with differential output, high output frequency, low jitter and high stability, making it ideally suited for precision timing applications. Its architecture consists of a piezoelectric MEMS resonator hermetically bonded to an RF ASIC containing oscillator and temperature compensation circuitry.

Technical Features and Benefits

  • 125 MHz high frequency with differential output--offers more than 50 percent lower current drain relative to comparable quartz products
  • Ultra-precision RMS jitter at < 300 fs maximum from 12 kHz to 20 MHz – includes industry-leading rise time/fall time edge rates at 250 ps maximum
  • High stability of ±5 ppm stability over -40° to +85°C
  • Activity dip-free resonator, high noise and vibration immunity and low G-Sensitivity – guarantee jitter performance in rugged environments
  • 30,000 g shock survivability – ensures high reliability throughout product life cycle

Availability

The TM651 is currently sampling to lead customers, and will be ramping to mass production in Q1 2014. It is available in an industry-standard 3.2 mm x 2.5 mm x 1.2 mm LGA package. To order or receive technical information on the TM651, please visit: www.sand9.com or contact: info@sand9.com.