Septentrio, part of Hexagon, launched a miniaturized timing module designed to bring nanosecond-precision timing to high-volume applications requiring strict size and weight (SWaP) constraints.
The mosaic-G5 T measures 23 mm x 16 mm and weighs 2.2 g, making it suitable for data centers, telecommunications networks, satellite communications, financial institutions and other critical infrastructure requiring precise time synchronization.
The module receives signals from multiple GNSS satellite constellations and includes anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology to maintain service continuity. It features built-in cybersecurity capabilities and dual pulse-per-second outputs for high-resolution timing.
“For over 25 years, we have been producing world-recognized timing receivers, serving critical applications and major industry players,” said Yasmine Hunter, product manager at Septentrio. “With our next-generation technology, we are now bringing precise and resilient time in an ultra-compact form factor to high-volume applications.”
The receiver operates across multiple frequencies, enabling high precision even in areas with radio interference. It supports clock and frequency input for synchronization and is ready to support Galileo High Accuracy Service. The module remains compatible with other correction services that enhance timing accuracy.
Huber+Suhner is offering the Syncro family for nanosecond-accurate time synchronization — essential for global trade, stock exchanges, mobile communications, navigation and geodesy. With Syncro, data center operators requiring precise time synchronization can integrate optical timing into existing fiber architectures, enhancing performance and reducing costs.
The Syncro family is an integrated, modular timing and GNSS distribution portfolio designed for rapid deployment and reliable performance by extending transmission distances, reducing the number of required GNSS antennas and eliminating many limitations of coaxial cabling.
Syncro is available in three customizable product sets so customers can select the right balance of power, monitoring and redundancy for their operations. The Syncro Max provides full PoF capability and signal expansion, monitoring and redundancy for the most demanding deployments. Syncro Eco delivers the signal expansion and monitoring features of the Max without PoF for customers that do not require remote powering. Simpler applications that do not require PoF or redundancy can use the Syncro Mini, which still maintains monitoring and signal expansion capabilities.
GNSS provides the reference time used across modern networks and critical infrastructure. GNSS signals originate from satellites carrying atomic clocks, with the extreme stability of those clocks acting as the basis for international timekeeping and enabling nanosecond synchronization when distributed correctly.
Building on previous GNSS and power-over-fiber (PoF) offerings, Syncro delivers secure, precise timing synchronization over fiber, while preserving nanosecond accuracy across an operator’s network. PoF is a key advantage of the Syncro approach as optical fiber carries both the GNSS timing signal and required energy to remote antenna assemblies, allowing rooftop or remote antennas to be powered without separate electrical wiring. Crucially, Syncro integrates seamlessly into an operator’s existing fiber network, reusing optical infrastructure to deliver both signal and safe, centrally managed power to remote GNSS antenna locations.
By moving timing distribution onto fiber, Syncro eliminates many installation constraints and reduces planning overhead. The plug-and-play design removes the transmission distance limits of coaxial cabling, reduces the need for reinforced ducting and extensive grounding to protect against lightning surges, and allows longer secure transmission between antennas and receivers.
Microchip Technology’s new SkyWire is a time measurement tool embedded in its BlueSky Firewall 2200. It’s designed to measure, align and verify time to within nanoseconds even when clocks are long distances apart. The technology enables highly scalable and precise time traceability to metrology labs to protect critical infrastructure systems.
Network clocks are the backbone of critical infrastructure operations, with the precise alignment of clocks becoming increasingly important for data centers, power utilities, wireless and wireline networks and financial institutions.
For critical infrastructure operators to deploy timing architectures with reliability and resiliency, their clocks and timing references must be measured and verified to an authoritative time source such as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
With the BlueSky GNSS Firewall 2200 and SkyWire technology, geographically dispersed timing systems can be compared to each other and compared to the time scale systems deployed at metrology labs within nanoseconds. Measurement of clock alignment and traceability to this level has typically only been done between metrology labs and scientific institutes.
With Microchip’s solution, critical timing networks for air traffic control, transportation, public utilities and financial services can achieve alignment within nanoseconds between its clocks to protect their infrastructure no matter where the clocks are located.
“To ensure timing systems are delivering to stringent accuracy requirements, it’s important to measure and verify in an independent manner relative to UTC as managed by national laboratories and traceable to the Bureau International Poids et Mesures (BIPM),” said Randy Brudzinski, corporate vice president of Microchip’s frequency and timing systems business unit. “With the new SkyWire technology solution, we’re making UTC more widely accessible so that large deployments of clocks can be independently measured and verified against each other across long distances.”
The concept originated as an extension to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) pre-existing service called Time Measurement and Analysis Service (TMAS), which is utilized by entities that are required to maintain an accurate local time standard. The BlueSky GNSS Firewall 2200 with SkyWire technology provides a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product to enable critical infrastructure operators to connect with the NIST TMAS Data Service for large-volume clock deployments.
“At NIST, our goal is to enable the most accurate time to support our country’s infrastructure,” said, Andrew Novick, NIST engineer. “Our TMAS Data Service, in conjunction with commercial hardware, provides a scalable solution for anyone who needs traceable and accurate timing.”
Nations around the globe can replicate this solution using Microchip’s SkyWire technology capabilities within its TimePictra software suite, which delivers similar features and functionality as that provided by the NIST TMAS Data Service. Metrology labs, government agencies and enterprises worldwide can deploy TimePictra software suite and the BlueSky GNSS Firewall 2200 with SkyWire technology and have their own end-to-end solution for traceable time measurement, alignment and verification.
The TimePictrasoftware suite provides customers with support to deploy BlueSky GNSS Firewalls at scale.
Safran Electronics & Defense has released an enhanced version of VersaSync, its ruggedized GNSS master clock and network time server designed for defense applications.
The updated VersaSync platform includes several technical improvements over previous versions. The system now offers improved frequency stability in harsh environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures, shock and vibration. Engineers have enhanced holdover performance for GNSS-denied missions and increased resistance to power supply transients to maintain timing continuity during platform power disruptions.
The new version maintains form-fit-function compatibility with earlier VersaSync models, allowing for straightforward upgrades without major redesigns.
The system has been deployed in more than 16,000 operational cases across various platforms, including high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, armored vehicles, naval combat systems and offshore platforms. VersaSync incorporates anti-jamming and anti-spoofing algorithms and features a conduction-cooled design for size, weight and power (SWAP)-constrained environments.
The device provides secure Network Time Protocol and Precision Time Protocol synchronization over Ethernet and offers configurable input/output options. Applications include mobile command, control, communications and intelligence platforms, airborne ISR, Satellite On The Move systems and naval communications.
Safran Electronics & Defense will display the enhanced VersaSync at DSEI 2025.
Safran Electronics & Defense and QinetiQ have entered a strategic partnership to deliver sovereign and resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence. The collaboration addresses today’s urgent need for trusted PNT capabilities in increasingly challenging and GNSS-denied operational environments.
By integrating QinetiQ’s Q40 GNSS receiver with Safran’s SecureSync time server, the partnership offers advanced protection against jamming, spoofing and other adversarial electronic warfare threats. The joint solution supports multi-signal reception and delivers reliable, coherent synchronization for mission-critical military operations — from strategic headquarters to frontline forces.
The SecureSync time server. (Photo: Safran)
This next-generation, sovereign capability strengthens the UK’s operational advantage, ensuring continuous access to secure timing and navigation, even under electronic attack. The solution is designed to adapt and expand, accommodating future threats and supporting the full spectrum of defence operations.
“The Q40 provides navigational assurance in environments where jamming, spoofing and electronic attacks are ever-present,” said James Willis, chief executive UK Intelligence, QinetiQ. “By pairing it with Safran’s SecureSync, we are giving UK forces a trusted, sovereign solution that ensures precise timing and navigation data remains available when it matters most.”
The Q40 GNSS receiver. (Photo: Qinetiq)
“In the current context of evolving threats and contested environments, guaranteeing sovereignty in navigation and timing is more critical than ever for national defence,” added Maxime Gorlier, director of PNT Business Unit for Safran Electronics & Defense. “This partnership enables UK armed forces to maintain full independence and sovereignty, even when facing sophisticated electronic warfare tactics. Together, we are committed to providing future-proof PNT solutions that strengthen the UK’s resilience and strategic autonomy.”
The partnership leverages both companies’ sustained investment in customer-focused research, development and innovation, and demonstrates their shared commitment to providing robust, secure and resilient PNT solutions.
Adtran has launched the OSA 5401XG SyncPlug, an SFP-based grandmaster clock that delivers precise PTP and NTP synchronization for 10Gbit/s edge and access networks. The new Oscilloquartz device enables timing distribution through a compact, plug-in form factor that requires no rack space or complex installation, empowering network operators to extend synchronization into space- and power-limited deployments.
With multi-band GNSS support, compliance with PRTC‑B and compatibility with 10Gbit/s-only host platforms, it offers an efficient way to upgrade timing capabilities across sectors, including telecom, energy, defense, enterprise and more, according to Adtran.
“As networks evolve, precise timing has to reach further, faster and into more constrained environments. That’s exactly what the 5401XG SyncPlug is built for. It’s a no-compromise solution that fits directly into existing infrastructure, requires almost no space or power and delivers the performance needed for next-generation services,” said Gil Biran, GM of Oscilloquartz, Adtran. “By integrating advanced GNSS capabilities in a 10Gbit/s-ready SFP module, we’re giving our customers an easier, smarter way to deploy resilient timing, whether modernizing legacy sites, extending coverage at the edge or rolling out new, timing-critical applications.”
The OSA 5401XG SyncPlug is a fully featured SFP-based synchronization device that supports PTP grandmaster, boundary and slave clock modes, Stratum 1 NTP server functionality, and SyncE for frequency synchronization. It plugs directly into standard 1Gbit/s or 10Gbit/s ports and consumes less than 2.5W, making it ideal for space- and power-sensitive locations. With multi-band GNSS (L1 and L5), the device enables compliance with enhanced timing standards such as PRTC-B and supports regional systems, including India’s IRNSS. It also offers advanced spoofing and jamming detection, extended holdover and up to 500,000 NTP transactions per second, ensuring performance and security at scale.
“Demand for precise synchronization is growing rapidly across edge and access networks, and it has to be delivered with minimal footprint and maximum resilience,” commented Igal Pinhasov, VP of product line management at Oscilloquartz, Adtran. “From mobile backhaul and energy grids to secure government and business networks, the OSA 5401XG SyncPlug fits directly into existing infrastructure to deliver full grandmaster functionality over 10Gbit/s. There’s no need for extra cabling, appliances or rack space. It’s an ideal solution for operators looking to modernize timing in challenging environments while simplifying deployment and strengthening performance.”
Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), part of the Australian government’s Department of Defence, has selected Adtran’s Oscilloquartz high-performance optically pumped cesium clock to support research at its Adelaide facility.
The OSA 3300 HP will serve as a time and frequency reference for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) research. Delivered in collaboration with local partner CoverTel, the deployment marks the first integration of optical cesium technology within Australian defense research.
“DSTG’s selection of our optical cesium reflects a broader shift toward autonomous, long-term synchronization solutions,” said Stuart Broome, GM of EMEA and APAC sales at Adtran. “Defense organizations around the world are reassessing how they ensure timing resilience, particularly as reliance on GNSS becomes more of a risk.”
The OSA 3300 HP will give national infrastructure precision and adaptability, supporting DSTG’s research into new strategies for assured PNT. DSTG selected the OSA 3300 HP to support advanced PNT research within its Sensors and Effectors division.
Using optical pumping technology that measures 100 times more atoms than traditional magnetic cesium clocks, the device delivers outstanding frequency stability and precision, Adtran said. Its all-digital design ensures consistent performance, while its 10-year operational lifespan offers long-term value.
With its compact form factor, robust construction and advanced atomic technology, the OSA 3300 HP provides the reliability needed to support Australia’s evolving synchronization requirements and critical scientific initiatives.
The clock will help DSTG explore new approaches to synchronization and build greater resilience into the Australian Defence Force’s long-term PNT capabilities, especially in contested environments where GNSS jamming and spoofing are prevalent. It will lay the groundwork for systems that rely on precise, dependable timing — from secure defense communications to advanced sensing and navigation.
Xona has reached three new commercial agreements with precision timing innovators Hoptroff, Fibrolan and Timebeat, marking its official entry into the precision timekeeping and synchronization market. These partnerships seek to enable end users to leverage Xona’s Pulsar satellites to provide independent, secure, and resilient timing infrastructure amid mounting global complexity and risk.
Satellite navigation provides far more than positioning — it’s the world’s most accurate source of globally synchronized time signals underpinning nearly every critical system, including:
Emergency response coordination
Real-time power grid balancing
Transportation network resilience
Fair and trustworthy global financial trading
5G network synchronization
Data center efficiency and security
As infrastructure becomes more connected and distributed, timing is the backbone of data governance— determining who holds critical data, when it was held and for how long. A single second lost or spoofed can erode trust across every facet of daily life.
Broadcasting nanosecond-level accurate time from low-Earth orbit, Pulsar provides a new alternative to vulnerable GNSS-based systems. With built-in authentication, secure signals, and up to 100x received power of legacy GNSS, Pulsar ensures reliable reception even in low-rise buildings and urban environments — all without requiring specialized hardware, according to the company.
“This is an important milestone — proof that next-generation satellite technology is no longer just promising innovation, but solving real, urgent problems today.” said Jay Wakenshaw, COO of Xona. “Seeing market leaders like Hoptroff, Fibrolan, and TimeBeat adopt Pulsar validates that there’s a genuine need and significant demand for what we’re bringing to market.”
Pulsar testing and demonstrations in real-world environments will continue through this year and into early next year, with active field deployments planned from late 2026.
“Our customers in critical national infrastructure rely on precision timing to keep their operations secure, compliant, and efficient.” said Tim Richards, CEO of Hoptroff. “The low-Earth orbit Ssatellite system provided by Xona will add additional redundancy to our global timing network, and complements our existing terrestrial timing infrastructure which is essential for next gen applications particularly in these uncertain times.”
“We’re always seeking innovative alternatives to GNSS — because the future of timing depends on it.” said Shamir Stein, CEO of Fibrolan. “Pulsar is exactly the kind of breakthrough our industry needs: a powerful, dependable solution that will allow us to continue delivering simple, robust, and hassle-free timing to our partners and customers.”
New collaboration to demonstrate how terrestrial 5G-based timing can provide scalable solutions to complement and backup GPS.
NextNav and Oscilloquartz, a division of Adtran, have partnered to demonstrate how 5G-powered terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technology combined with Oscilloquartz’s established synchronization systems can serve as a scalable complement and backup to GPS. The initiative aims to maintain the operation of critical infrastructure, such as data centers, utilities, and emergency services, during GPS outages by distributing precise, coordinated universal time (UTC) over existing 5G networks for both indoor and outdoor environments.
The collaboration integrates Oscilloquartz’s synchronization technology with NextNav’s terrestrial 5G PNT platforms to introduce an additional timing source, thereby reducing end-user dependence on GPS alone. This effort addresses increasing demand for secure and redundant timing solutions in light of threats to GPS reliability. The companies are aligning their technologies with ongoing Federal Communications Commission initiatives to encourage complementary PNT solutions.
According to the companies, this approach responds to national security and public safety concerns by prioritizing the development of resilient infrastructure. The demonstration of these integrated terrestrial timing capabilities is intended to provide a practical example of how industry can build more robust timing networks and reduce the risks associated with relying solely on GPS.
Sparkfun Electronics has released the SparkFun Timing GNSS Breakout – mosaic-T, a compact, multi-band, multi-constellation GNSS timing receiver designed for precise time synchronization applications. At its core is the Septentrio mosaic-T module, which offers timing precision of 5 ns and can achieve accuracy better than 1 ns with an optional Fugro AtomiChron L-band timing service subscription. Event timing accuracy is better than 20 ns.
The mosaic-T module is engineered for ultra-low power consumption and supports multiple satellite constellations. It features AIM+ technology for interference mitigation and anti-spoofing, designed to improve reliability and accuracy in challenging environments.
The breakout board is designed for integration into projects requiring high-precision timing. It provides standard interfaces for connectivity and is suitable for applications in telecommunications, data centers, and scientific research that demand precise time references.
Safran Electronics & Defense has introduced BlackNaute, a new autonomous positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) system. The system integrates Safran’s HRG Dual Core inertial navigation technology, the Skylight multi-mode GNSS receiver board and an atomic clock to offer navigation resilience in challenging electronic warfare environments.
BlackNaute’s built-in atomic clock is designed to maintain precise timing, which is essential for secure communications and collaborative combat operations. The system features advanced anti-jamming and anti-spoofing algorithms, which have been validated in more than 16,000 operational cases. These capabilities allow BlackNaute to detect compromised signals and automatically switch to autonomous and trusted navigation and timing sources to ensure continuity of operations.
Its modular design allows it to be adapted across a variety of platforms. Airbus Helicopters has selected the NH90 to be equipped with this new Embedded GNSS and Time INS (EGTI).
“What we are offering today is not just a new solution — it’s an operational guarantee, designed to meet the challenges of electromagnetic warfare,” said Alexandre Ziegler, Executive Vice President, Defense Global Business Unit at Safran Electronics & Defense. “It is a concentration of innovation combining precision, versatility, and security to ensure positioning, navigation and timing — anywhere, under any circumstances.”
In the mission-critical world of aerospace and defense, where reliability and resilience can mean the difference between success and failure, precision timing is an essential technology for increasingly sophisticated and connected systems. Every nanosecond matters, whether ensuring UAVs operate safely or enabling secure real-time communication in high-threat environments. At the heart of these systems is precision timing technology, which ensures precise synchronization within and between systems, enabling high data throughput with minimal latency.
Aerospace and defense systems operate in some of the harshest environments on the planet, where extreme temperatures, shock and vibration and electromagnetic interference (EMI) are commonplace. While quartz technology has historically been used to deliver timing references in aerospace and defense applications, precision timing based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology has recently proven to be a superior alternative due to its better performance, resilience and reliability.
To understand the key differences between MEMS and quartz technologies for timing devices used in aerospace and defense applications, let’s focus on size, weight and power consumption (SWaP), as well as the ability of these two distinct types of timing technologies to perform reliably and accurately in harsh, demanding operating environments.
The Rise of MEMS Oscillators in Aerospace and Defense
MEMS-based precision timing technology is proven and highly reliable, designed to perform reliably in the harsh environments in which aerospace and defense applications operate. Unlike quartz timing devices, MEMS-based timing devices such as resonators, oscillators and clock generators are manufactured using semiconductor processes. This silicon MEMS technology enables unparalleled miniaturization, better resilience, and higher performance across a variety of environmental conditions. By encapsulating a MEMS resonator in a vacuum-sealed cavity, these timing devices are protected from contamination, aging, and environmental disruptions such as shock and vibration.
SiTime, a leader in MEMS-based precision timing technology, has developed a variety of MEMS-based oscillators and clocks that outperform quartz counterparts in key areas like stability, ruggedness, and SWaP. (See Figure 1.) These include popular devices such as temperature-compensated oscillators (TCXOs) and oven-controlled oscillators (OCXOs). The company’s MEMS-based Endura family of ruggedized Super-TCXOs and OCXOs, for example, is specifically designed for demanding aerospace and defense applications.
Figure 1. MEMS OCXOs surpass vibration-rated quartz OCXOs in performance, offering superior functionality with reduced SWaP. (Credit: all photos and tables provided by author)
Key Advantages of MEMS Precision Timing Devices
Low Phase Noise: MEMS Super-TCXOs deliver ultra-low phase noise, even in the presence of environmental stressors such as shock, vibration, and rapid temperature changes, which is essential for high-frequency RF systems such as tactical radios and satellite communication terminals. With low phase noise at 10 MHz output frequency of -165 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset and -175 dBc/Hz noise floor, these MEMS oscillators outperform typical quartz-based devices, ensuring cleaner signal transmission and better system performance.
Shock and Vibration Resistance: MEMS oscillators are qualified by SiTime to the highest MIL-STD-883 shock stress level of 30,000 g and customers have reported they can operate at 100,000 g shock levels. This extreme shock resistance in conjunction with ultra-low acceleration sensitivity, as low as 0.009 ppb/g total gamma, make them ideal for rugged environments including space missions, aircraft and military vehicles. In contrast, quartz oscillators are prone to failure or frequency jumps under similar conditions.
Temperature Stability: Super-TCXOs exhibit excellent temperature stability, with frequency stability of ±10 ppb across a temperature range of -40 °C to +105 °C. This stability is critical for aerospace and defense applications subject to rapid temperature changes, which cause traditional quartz oscillators to fail or experience frequency jumps. (See Figure 2.)
SWaP Efficiency: MEMS oscillators are significantly smaller, lighter, and more power-efficient than quartz devices, meeting the stringent SWaP requirements of modern aerospace systems. For example, OCXO-grade TCXOs (Elite-X) come in a compact 7.0 x 5.0 mm2 surface-mount package and consume less than 115 mW of power while delivering ±5ppb frequency stability over temperature performance. This makes them ideal for space-constrained, low-power applications like small satellites (SmallSats) and tactical communication systems.
Reliability: MEMS oscillators offer superior long-term reliability, with a mean time between failures (MTBF) of more than 1 billion hours – about 30 times greater than quartz-based oscillators. Additionally, MEMS devices exhibit lower aging rates than quartz, ensuring consistent performance over extended missions.
Figure 2. Endura Epoch OCXOs are unaffected by rapid temperature changes, as simulated by air flow that is turned on and off repeatedly.
Real-World Applications of Precision Timing Technology
Tactical Radios: Precision Timing is critical for secure data transmission in military communication systems. Super-TCXOs, offering low phase noise and vibration resistance, ensure signal integrity even in the harshest battlefield conditions, improving the reliability of tactical radios used by defense forces.
Satellite Communication Systems: Reliability, component size and power efficiency are paramount in satellite communications. MEMS oscillators enable high-bandwidth data transmission with minimal signal degradation, and their robust design ensures uninterrupted performance during mission-critical operations. Their small size and energy efficiency also make them ideal for space- and power-constrained satellite systems.
UAVs: UAVs are often deployed in dynamic environments where they are exposed to extreme temperatures and vibrations. MEMS oscillators, with their superior shock and vibration resistance, are a preferred timing solution for maintaining stable navigation and communications, ensuring UAVs can carry out their missions without interruption.
Radar Systems: Advanced radar systems depend on precise timing to synchronize signal processing, reduce interference, and optimize target detection. MEMS-based Precision Timing devices, with their high vibration resistance and temperature stability, deliver reliable performance in high-intensity environments, such as on naval vessels or fighter jets, where traditional quartz oscillators may struggle to maintain accuracy.
The Future of Precision Timing in Aerospace and Defense
As aerospace and defense systems become more advanced, the need for reliable precision timing solutions will continue to grow. MEMS-based oscillators, with their superior SWaP efficiency, rugged design, and inherent reliability, represent the future of Precision Timing technology in these critical sectors.
While quartz oscillators have served the aerospace and defense and industry for decades, MEMS technology is proving to be a more effective Precision Timing solution for next-generation systems. MEMS-based TCXOs and OCXOs are setting new benchmarks for Precision Timing, offering unmatched resilience, reliability, and performance in the most demanding environments.
