Super-TCXO exhibits power and size reduction for aerospace-defence
SiTime has added the MEMS-based SiT5543 Super-TCXO to its Endura family. According to the company, it delivers 100 times higher reliability, two time the power reduction and is 40 per cent smaller in size compared to OCXOs and delivers 20 times better stability than conventional TCXOs.
This ruggedised, temperature-controlled oscillator offers an unprecedented ±5 ppb frequency stability over temperature from -40 to +95 degrees C, claimed SiTime, even during fast temperature transients and under vibration. The SiT5543 also delivers a 20 times improvement in stability over existing open market, quartz-based TCXOs, which are unable to provide stability better than ±100 ppb, said the company.
In addition to ±0.3 ppb per degree C stability over temperature slope, it offers 0.01 ppb per g acceleration sensitivity and just 0.5 ppb per day daily ageing and ±150 ppb ageing over 20 years, eliminating the need for system-level ageing compensation.
It requires just two seconds to final stability over temperature and has an optional ±3200 ppm digital control with I2C and 20,000 g shock survivability. It operates at 110mW typical power consumption from a 2.5V supply.
Designers typically use oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs) to achieve ±5 ppb stability in aerospace and defence systems but quartz-based OCXOs are notoriously expensive, bulky, fragile and power hungry, explained SiTime. The SiT5543 overcomes these challenges and offers designers of ruggedised systems an option that matches the temperature stability of conventional OXCOs, claimed the company. It is designed as a replacement for OCXOs in demanding applications such as high speed data communications, military networks, electronic systems and avionics.
The SiT5543 Super-TCXO significantly reduces bit error rate, system size and power consumption while enhancing reliability and operational performance in harsh operating conditions, added the company. It also enables a new level of secure, timing-dependent encryption technology to protect military radios, GPS receivers, navigation and guidance systems from jamming events. In addition to stability over temperature and under vibration for the high speed networks in today’s aerospace and defence systems, the SiT5543 reduces risk, cycle time and cost in meeting tough operational requirements due to the superior robustness of MEMS technology over legacy quartz alternatives, said SiTime.
The SiT5443 Super-TCXO is factory-programmable to support output frequencies ranging from 1.0 to 60MHz, thus eliminating the high cost, risks, and delays of custom oscillators. The SiT5543 is available with I2C digital control for on-the-fly frequency tuning or for advanced user-defined compensation. Digital control provides noise-insensitive frequency adjustment with smooth frequency shifts.
The SiT5543 MEMS Super-TCXO is manufactured using semiconductor processes with statistical process control and 6-sigma specification limits to ensure reliability and that each device meets specification in the lab and in real-world operating conditions.
The Endura SiT5543 Super-TCXO is supplied in a 7.0 x 5.0mm ceramic surface mount package.
Samples of the SiT5543 Super-TCXOs are available now for qualified customers. Volume production is expected in early 2024.
