Microchip Technology is pushing deeper into the New Space market with a new timing device built for small, cost-sensitive satellites. The company has expanded its atomic clock portfolio with the Space CSAC-SA65, a radiation-tolerant Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) aimed at low Earth orbit (LEO) missions where size, weight, power and cost matter as much as accuracy.
The SA65 is designed as a compact, low-power alternative to traditional radiation-hardened timing solutions, helping satellite developers shrink their designs without giving up precision.
Built for small satellites and short-duration missions
As satellite-to-cellular links, alternative navigation services, and frequent Earth-imaging missions gain traction, operators are looking for smaller, cheaper hardware that can still deliver reliable timing.
Microchip’s answer is a COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) atomic clock that uses radiation-tolerant commercial components to cut lead times and overall costs compared with conventional space-grade oscillators.
Key specs tailored for LEO payloads:
- Radiation tolerance: at least 30 kRad
- Operating temperature: –40°C to +80°C
- Power consumption: under 120 mW
- Volume: less than 17 cc
The device builds on the heritage of Microchip’s earlier Space CSAC-SA45, extending radiation tolerance and environmental range while keeping the same compact footprint.
Timing without constant GNSS reliance
The Space CSAC-SA65 includes 1 PPS (pulse per second) input and output, enabling straightforward synchronization across satellite subsystems. Its atomic stability allows systems to maintain accurate time for extended periods without continuously leaning on external references like GNSS signals, useful for assured positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and for satellite cross-linking where independent, resilient timing is critical.thenextweb+1
Typical target applications include:
- Satellite timing and frequency control
- Onboard clock reference
- Assured PNT in contested or degraded GNSS environments
- Inter-satellite cross-link synchronization
Microchip positions the SA65 within a wider portfolio that spans miniature oscillators, plug-in timing server cards, and multi-rack time-scale systems. The company describes itself as a primary contributor to the world’s time infrastructure, emphasizing trusted and resilient timing solutions for both terrestrial and space-based systems.
New Space Market
With the New Space market demanding more frequent, shorter missions and denser constellations, devices like the Space CSAC-SA65 aim to make high-stability timing accessible to a broader range of satellite programs especially those that can’t justify the cost, size, or lead time of legacy space-grade clocks.
Leadership Comment
“By enabling one of the lowest power atomic clocks to thrive in extreme conditions, even the smallest CubeSat can now fly with atomic accuracy,” said Randy Brudzinski, corporate vice president of Microchip’s frequency and time systems business unit. “The Space CSAC-SA65 brings atomic-clock performance to applications where size, weight, power and cost are tightly constrained, helping developers maintain synchronization and timing accuracy even when external timing references are unavailable.”
Development Tools
The CSAC-SA65 is supported by Microchip’s Clockstudio™ software for control and analysis of atomic clocks, as well as a CSAC Developer Kit.
Pricing and Availability
The CSAC-SA65 (part number 090-02789-007) is available for purchase. For additional information and to purchase, contact a Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor.
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