Time is crucial for the synchronization of critical infrastructure, including mobile networks, public utilities, and transportation. National timing systems, such as the Global Position Satellite (GPS), are the main source of time; nevertheless, spoofing and jamming assaults can target GPS signals.
Microchip Technology announces the release of version 2.4 of the TimeProvider® 4100 grandmaster firmware, which includes an embedded BlueSky firewall function to detect potential threats and validate GNSS before using the signal as a time reference. This move aims to continue offering critical infrastructure operators a secure timing solution.
“Security is of utmost importance to operators; it is critical to make sure that the time reference used by a grandmaster is a valid signal and can be trusted,” said Randy Brudzinski, vice president of Microchip’s frequency and time systems business unit. “The TimeProvider 4100 grandmaster, with its embedded BlueSky GPS firewall, offers our customers a cost-effective solution that provides highly effective protection against spoofing, jamming and other threats that could compromise the validity of the GNSS signal.”
IEEE® 1588 power profiles are also implemented by the TimeProvider 4100 Grandmaster Firmware v2.4, allowing for gateway capabilities between PTP telecom and power profiles.
As operators continue to modernize, utility firms may promote the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) networks by connecting the communication and substation networks using this device.
Emerging private networks are expanding in a number of places, including mines, stadiums, and factories. The TimeProvider 4100 series v2.4, which is outfitted with the Time Sensitive Network (TSN) profile 802.1.AS, can now synchronize these private networks.
With the help of this feature, private networks may better coordinate their Internet of Things (IoT) devices by having a more precise and self-sufficient time system. Operators demand grandmasters that can scale to accommodate few to many clients, depending on their specific deployment requirements.
2,000 accurate Time Protocol (PTP) clients may be served by the TP4100 v2.4, making it possible to synchronize a large number of base stations with accurate time without the need to install several grandmasters.
It is necessary to upgrade the current historical communication signal deployments to a more contemporary, modular architecture as they get older. A novel operating mode offered by the TimeProvider 4100 series v2.4 allows it to function as a Synchronization Supply Unit (SSU) and filter older input signals.
This feature makes it possible to migrate large SSU deployments to a TimeProvider server architecture. This offers a large-scale mix of old signals with new protocols like PTP, NTP, and SyncE, enabling operators to maintain legacy services while also having the capacity to offer contemporary synchronization signals to support more recent network topologies.
Synchronization solutions supporting important infrastructures must be resilient. Customer satisfaction may be impacted by a breakdown that results in a reduction in quality of service or in total loss of service. Software redundancy allows two grandmasters to be synchronized in an Active/Standby architecture so network customers can be supplied by the Standby unit in the event that the Active unit has a disturbance, which adds to the TimeProvider 4100 series’ resilience.
The extra redundancy model of the TimeProvider 4100 Grandmaster Firmware v2.4, which enables two units to run in Active/Active mode and offers flexibility based on customer demand, is another significant and beneficial feature. Using the two grandmasters that are meant to run always in the Active/Active mode offers customers advantages over the Active/Standby setup, which keeps one device in standby mode when it is not in use.
The TimePictra® Synchronization Management System and the TimeProvider 4100 Grandmaster Firmware series v2.4 are linked to give users a comprehensive picture of their network’s synchronization operation and health.
Pricing and Availability
The TimeProvider 4100 v2.4 grandmaster is now available for purchase. For additional information and to purchase, contact a Microchip sales representative or an authorized distributor.
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