Carrier-grade, packet-based timing and synchronisation

The TimeProvider® 5000 is a carrier grade IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Grandmaster with additional capabilities, including NTP and SyncE, that provide a flexible technology suite to match the synchronization needs of evolving networks.

The TimeProvider 5000 is an IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Grandmaster Clock that enables communications service providers to build a stable, robust and reliable network infrastructure. An NTP server option and expansion shelf capabilities that include PTP and Synchronous Ethernet make this timing and synchronization system capable of supporting network needs today and in the future. A carrier-grade design with flexible capabilities is vital to enable circuit to packet network migration for high-speed data services and wireless backhaul, and to deliver 4G/LTE, LTE-Advanced, 5G wireless, as well as broadband multimedia to the network edge and customer premise. The latest release includes IPv6 options for PTP and NTP services, as well as expanded GNSS support options including GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, and Galileo.

High Performance for Carrier-Grade Applications

TimeProvider 5000 combines the functionality of a highly accurate IEEE 1588 Grandmaster clock with E1/T1 and 10 MHz/1 PPS I/O ports in a high-performance, yet compact 1RU footprint. It adheres to the latest IEEE 1588-2008 (PTPv2) standard including the provisioning of telecom profile extensions for telecommunications based applications, and meets applicable performance requirements of the ITU-T G.8272 standard for a Primary Reference Time Clock (PRTC).

Fully Redundant Equipment, High Network Availability

With redundant Input/Output Clock (IOC) cards, TimeProvider 5000 provides protection far superior to "network redundancy" models that must re-acquire synchronization from a different Grandmaster located elsewhere in the network. Modular construction also yields better serviceability and a lower mean-time-to-restore than sealed, self-contained units.

High Client Capacity, High Message Rate

TimeProvider 5000, with hardware-based time stamping and packet processing, delivers high client capacity at full rates: up to 2,000 clients at up to 128 messages per second. The synchronization performance does not degrade with increases in the number of clients until this capacity limit is reached.

Improved QoS and Packet-Based Network Performance

The TimeProvider 5000 is designed from the ground up to handle the most stringent timing requirements of today's emerging packet-based, next-generation networks. The TimeProvider 5000 enables service providers to roll out feature-rich, lower-cost, packet-based services without sacrificing timing accuracy or quality of service.

Optional Quartz and Rubidium Oscillators

TimeProvider 5000 is available with both quartz and rubidium oscillator options enabling service providers and network equipment manufacturers to choose the optimal level of holdover based on network performance, applications requirements, and equipment cost targets.

NTP Server Option

The TimeProvider 5000 PTP Grandmaster offers a licensed software option to enable carrier-grade, hardware-based NTP server capabilities, allowing network providers to simultaneously support both PTP and NTP clients in the network. The NTP server is capable of supporting up to 120,000 transactions per second.

TimeProvider Expansion Capabilities

TimeProvider 5000 serves as the base unit in a "rack and stack" configuration with TimeProvider expansion shelves. Up to ten expansion units can be deployed in any combination. With two high-precision DTI ports for inter-shelf connections and redundant power connections, the expansion units also provide the performance and protection needed to ensure maximum service availability and network uptime.

TimeProvider Expansion 10

The TimeProvider Expansion 10 shelf adds up to 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports that simultaneously support PTP and SyncE. The PTP profile is aligned with the developing ITU standard for time and phase. With SyncE to frequency synchronize the transport network and PTP for time and phase to base stations, the TimeProvider Expansion 10 is a complete solution for mobile networks as they evolve to technologies such as LTE-TDD and LTE-Advanced.

TimeProvider Expansion 10 uses hardware-based time stamping and packet processing to support up to 400,000 PTP multicast clients. The SyncE implementation includes support for the Ethernet Synchronization Message Channel (ESMC).

TimeProvider Expansion 30

Even as networks transition to packet, the need to synchronize elements using the frequency and interfaces of the traditional TDM network remains. The TimeProvider Expansion 30 shelf is equipped with twelve E1/2.048MHz and twelve 1 PPS/TOD output ports, allowing carriers to provide synchronization for all of their equipment from a single TimeProvider stack.

Experience Matters

 The TimeProvider 5000 system is on its 4th major engineering release group dating back to Symmetricom. The same timing experts that built the original TimeProvider 5000 IEEE 1588 PTP Grandmaster release and other world class servers at Symmetricom are the same ones who built the current generation of TimeProvider family products. Building a great PTP Grandmaster Clock is not easy and experience matters. The TimeProvider 5000 is a device that must operate perfectly every nanosecond, and every nanosecond is different from the last. So while the company name has changed from Symmetricom, to Microsemi and now to Microchip, the commitment to build the world’s best Clock Systems continues.