Description

Operators of critical infrastructure in the 5G telecommunications, utilities and transportation markets need to upgrade their networks continuously with technology that can deliver higher processing speeds and highly accurate time that is not dependent on GPS. They need a terrestrial alternative to GPS that distributes precise time over distances reaching 1,000 kilometers and delivers increased accuracy.

Our TimeProvider 4500 (TP4500) series is the world’s first IEEE^® 1588 PTP Grandmaster with high-speed network interfaces that support up to 25 Gbps Ethernet (GbE) and the flexibility to choose from 1 GbE, 10 GbE or 25 GbE options. This innovative hardware platform also enables the highest time accuracy below one nano second.

Key Features

Some key TP4500 features include:

• Enhancements such as the latest generation of synthesizer to enable the system to move into the picosecond realm and our latest generation PolarFire^® SoC FPGA to ensure increased performance
• Higher IEEE 1588 scalability to implement thousands of clients
• Supports Precision Time Protocol (PTP), Network Time Protocol (NTP) and SyncE
• Meets Primary Reference Time Clock (PRTC) Class A, Class B and enhanced PRTC (ePRTC) requirements and exceeds Class D for multi-domain boundary clocks
• Reliable, fanless passive thermal operation
• Redundancy via software mechanism using two active and standby units
• Patented, enhanced Assisted Partial Timing Support (APTS) with Automatic Asymmetry Compensation (AAC)
• Strong security and performance monitoring

Product Highlights

The TimeProvider 4500 series offers the flexibility to connect to various generations of network elements to protect earlier investments in hardware. An operator can connect the TP4500 to any combination of 1 GbE, 10 GbE and 25 GbE network devices. As network equipment is being upgraded to support a minimum of 10 Gbps, and in some cases up to 100 Gbps, the TP4500 provides the necessary high-speed bandwidth to support the requirements of the latest systems.

The TimeProvider 4500 can support very high PTP capacity. Its hardware platform enables higher IEEE 1588 scalability to support thousands of clients. Operators may not always need high capacity when using 5G mmWave technology at the edge of the network. However, C-band 5G deployments require a balance of range and capacity to be able to serve thousands of gNodeB base stations. Depending on the specific sites, the TP4500 could serve very few or many gNodeB base stations and provide a cost-effective solution regardless of scale.

Offering extremely high time accuracy, the TimeProvider 4500 is an excellent alternative solution to GNSS. It provides a cost-effective terrestrial option that can leverage existing optical network deployments to transfer highly accurate time over a long distance, without the need for GPS installations at each node.

The TP4500 is a key product that enables the virtual PRTC (vPRTC) architecture along with the BlueSky™ Firewall, the TimeCesium^®, the TimePictra^® and the TP4100.

As a follow-on product to the TP4100, the advanced TP4500 hardware platform adds new capabilities while it supports all its predecessor’s features, allowing you to benefit from any prior investments in the TP4100 firmware.