SiTime Corp. announced a new precision timing platform, EliteRF™, that simplifies timing architecture in wireless infrastructure. The Elite RF Super-TCXO® enables higher bandwidth and lower latency that is critical to future 5G and satellite communications deployment. This new platform expands SiTime’s SAM by $150M with target applications such as infrastructure radios in small cells, remote radio units, microwave backhaul and satcom equipment.

The Elite RF Super-TCXO is an entirely new class of MEMS-based temperature-controlled oscillators. They are purpose-built to withstand extreme environments in which 5G radios are deployed, while delivering the phase noise, accuracy and resilience in a single, highly integrated device. These devices also meet the stringent performance requirements specified by the IEEE 1588v2 timing synchronization protocol.

Until now, mini-OCXOs were the primary timing reference for 5G and satcom radios. Mini-OCXOs provided the stability over changing temperature that was necessary to clock advanced synchronized radios. While mini-OCXOs are accurate, they are notoriously unreliable, especially in harsh environments and they consume excessive power and board space and require additional components, such as jitter cleaners and VCXOs for generating RF-capable clocks. One Elite RF Super-TCXO replaces all these components.

“To enable new services, radios are expected to deliver 10x the bandwidth of previous generations with significantly lower latency,” said Piyush Sevalia, executive  vice president of marketing, SiTime. “To achieve these performance goals, next-gen radios must be deployed closer to the user, and all nodes in the network must be time-synchronized. Past radio architectures used separate timing devices for the radio and for synchronization. The SiTime Elite RF platform integrates these two clocking functions, simplifying the radio timing architecture and delivering on the promise of 5G bandwidth and coverage.”

Elite RF Super-TCXO Family Highlights

• 1 to 220 MHz any frequency output
• ±100 ppb stability over temperature
• -40°C to +105°C operating temperature range
• ±0.9 ppb/°C stability over temperature slope
• ±400 ppm digital control with ±0.05 ppt resolution
• 100 fs typical integrated phase jitter (19.2 MHz, 12 kHz to 20 MHz integration range)
• 0.3 ppb/day typical daily aging  
• 144 mW power consumption at 1.8 V
• 5.0 x 3.5 mm ceramic package .

Availability

Limited customer sampling available now; general sampling available in Q2 2023; mass production is expected in Q3 2023. Contact SiTime for additional product and ordering information.