Governments around the world are urging critical infrastructure operators to adopt additional time sources alongside Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to enhance resilience and reliability—ensuring uninterrupted operations amid potential disruptions or service limitations.
Microchip Technology has announced the release of the TimeProvider 4500 v3 Grandmaster Clock (TP4500), engineered to deliver sub-nanosecond accuracy for time distribution across 800 km long-haul optical transmission networks.
This innovative solution provides critical infrastructure operators with the long-awaited missing link in complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT). The TP4500 delivers a resilient terrestrial timing alternative when GNSS signals are unavailable, mitigating issues such as physical obstructions, security vulnerabilities, and signal interference costs typically associated with GNSS-dependent systems.
While most current deployments rely on GNSS at grandmaster sites, the TP4500 enables highly resilient synchronization without GNSS dependence. It supports time references provided by UTC(k) — UTC time maintained by national laboratories — and is the first grandmaster clock to deliver High Accuracy Time Transfer (HA-TT) as defined by ITU-T G.8271.1/Y.1366.1 (01/2024). This capability achieves a 5-nanosecond (ns) time delay over 800 km (equivalent to an average of 500 picoseconds (ps) per node across 10 nodes), setting a new industry benchmark for precision.
The TP4500 system can be configured with multiple operational modes to create an end-to-end virtual Primary Reference Time Clock (vPRTC) architecture, capable of delivering PRTC-level accuracy across long-distance optical networks. vPRTC is a carrier-grade terrestrial architecture for distributing HA-TT and has already been widely deployed in operator networks globally. Compared to alternative PNT solutions—which remain in early stages of development, have low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), and still rely on GNSS—HA-TT offers a proven, cost-effective, and scalable approach for critical infrastructure networks.
“The TimeProvider 4500 v3 Grandmaster is a breakthrough solution that empowers operators to deploy a terrestrial, standards-based timing network with unprecedented accuracy and resilience,” said Randy Brudzinski, Corporate Vice President of Microchip’s Frequency and Time Systems business unit. “This innovation reflects Microchip’s commitment to delivering the most advanced and reliable timing solutions for the world’s most essential services.”
The TimeProvider 4500 v3 also represents a key step toward supporting the ITU-T G.8272.2 standard, which defines a Coherent Network Reference Time Clock (cnPRTC) in Amendment 2 (2024). A cnPRTC architecture ensures highly accurate, resilient, and robust timekeeping across telecom networks, maintaining ePRTC-level accuracy even during GNSS outages or other network disruptions.
Key Features of the TimeProvider 4500 v3 Series
Sub-nanosecond accuracy: Delivers ≤5 ns time delay over distances up to 800 km
Terrestrial alternative to GNSS: Enables critical infrastructure to maintain resilient synchronization independent of GNSS
Seamless integration: Standards-based terrestrial network easily integrates with off-the-shelf small form-factor pluggables (SFPs) and existing Ethernet or optical deployments
Exclusive capabilities: Premium software features powered by Microchip’s PolarFire FPGA and Azurite synthesizer, providing unmatched timing precision
Optimized for telecommunications, utilities, transportation, government, and defense sectors, the TP4500 grandmaster ensures precise, secure, and resilient timing where it matters most. This latest version gives operators a scalable, future-ready solution for long-distance time distribution and synchronization.
The TP4500 joins Microchip’s comprehensive IEEE-1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) grandmaster clock portfolio, known for industry-leading performance and value. These field-proven systems scale from low-density indoor deployments to high-capacity 5G network timing applications.
For more information on Microchip’s grandmaster clock portfolio, visit the company’s official webpage.
Pricing and Availability
The TimeProvider 4500 v3 Grandmaster is now available for purchase in production quantities. For more details or to place an order, contact a Microchip sales representative or an authorized distributor.
