GPS World

Tag: TimePictra

  • TimePictra 12 designed to strengthen synchronization for critical infrastructure

    TimePictra 12 designed to strengthen synchronization for critical infrastructure

    Microchip Technology has released the TimePictra 12 platform, a major software upgrade to its synchronization management software to help critical-infrastructure operators manage advanced timing architectures with greater visibility, automation and control. The new version delivers a redesigned graphical user interface (GUI), expanded automation capabilities and enhanced support for the latest high‑accuracy timing technologies.

    As telecom, power, transportation, data center and other critical infrastructure networks evolve, operators are increasingly deploying more sophisticated synchronization architectures to improve resilience, reduce dependence on GNSS and maintain precise clock alignment across distributed environments. The TimePictra 12 platform addresses these requirements with enhanced capabilities for managing high-accuracy time transfer connections, monitoring GNSS observables using Microchip’s BlueSky technology, and maintaining clock alignment using SkyWire technology.

    The platform is also designed to strengthen GNSS visibility and resiliency by monitoring using BlueSky technology. By enabling centralized monitoring of GNSS-observables, the TimePictra 12 platform helps operators better understand GNSS conditions, identify anomalies, and manage timing infrastructure in environments where GNSS availability, integrity and security are critical.

    In addition, the TimePictra 12 platform supports the maintenance of clock alignment using SkyWire technology, helping operators preserve synchronization accuracy across distributed network elements. This capability is especially important as networks become more distributed, automated and dependent on precise phase and frequency alignment.

    The TimePictra 12 software suite introduces a refreshed user experience designed to simplify how operators interact with large, meshed synchronization environments. The modernized GUI makes it easier to view network relationships, identify issues and streamline ongoing management, helping reduce operational overhead for telecom, power, data center and other timing‑dependent sectors such as telecom, power, transportation, data centers and AI infrastructure.

    To help minimize deployment challenges, the software is designed to accelerate network rollouts, upgrades and configuration activities. The TimePictra 12 platform supports up to 5,000 elements, more than double the network size of earlier versions, providing increased capacity for large-scale synchronization deployments.

    The TimePictra 12 platform supports a broad range of Microchip’s synchronization products, including the TimeProvider 4100, 4500 and 5000 grandmaster clocks, SSU-2000, TimeCesium 4400 and 5071 products, Skywire technology and BlueSky GNSS Firewall. It enables centralized monitoring, configuration and management of these devices across critical infrastructure networks such as 5G, utilities, transportation, power substations, AI and datacenters.

  • SkyWire from Microchip makes it easier to compare clocks across locations

    SkyWire from Microchip makes it easier to compare clocks across locations

    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 TimePictra software suite provides customers with support to deploy BlueSky GNSS Firewalls at scale.

  • Microchip Technology unifies timing for critical infrastructure with firewall

    Microchip Technology unifies timing for critical infrastructure with firewall

    The company’s TimePictra 11 timing infrastructure management system works with its BlueSky GNSS Firewall to create a unified view for a more secure network timing architecture

    Image: Microchip Technology
    Image: Microchip Technology

    Microchip Technology Inc. has integrated its BlueSky GNSS Firewall with its TimePictra 11 synchronization monitoring and management platform to protect 5G networks and other critical timing infrastructure from GPS signal jamming and spoofing while providing single-console visibility across the entire timing architecture.

    The move was made to meet the needs of 5G wireless infrastructure, which has more complex and higher density synchronization needs than previous generation networks. 5G is highly dependent on the integrity of live-sky GNSS timing signals.

    “Microchip’s TimePictra system improves overall situational awareness by managing network timing synchronization as well as our GNSS firewall that improves a network’s resilience through real-time GPS threat detection and mitigation,” said Randy Brudzinski, vice president, Frequency and Time Systems business unit. “Our solution’s scalability is particularly valuable for mobile operators who can use TimePictra to monitor GNSS-based source clocks along with our secure network-based timing distribution solutions to deploy a highly resilient timing architecture for their transition to 5G.”

    In addition to requiring precise timing from GNSS sources, critical infrastructure operators need accurate timing to be distributed across their networks so they can ensure reliable performance and service delivery. TimePictra provides full control and monitoring for resilient timing architectures created with Microchip’s broad product portfolio, including its TimeProvider 4100 grandmasters for 5G network synchronization.

    TimePictra also monitors the health and performance of these networks’ distributed Precision Time Protocol (PTP) client clocks. Integrating BlueSky GNSS Firewall management into the TimePictra console view gives operators a unified picture of the entire timing architecture and all timing sources.

    Beyond supporting 5G deployments, TimePictra provides aviation, railway and maritime ports with a regional, national or global view of GNSS reception. TimePictra with BlueSky GNSS Firewall monitors key GNSS observables to detect live-sky signal anomalies and deliver early alerting so that operators can engage alternate procedures that do not rely on GNSS. These capabilities are increasingly important when public safety depends on position and navigation for daily operations.

    Microchip’s TimePictra timing infrastructure management system with its Blue Sky GNSS Firewall is available today.

  • Microchip updates BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software

    Microchip updates BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software

    Image: Microchip
    Image: Microchip

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s live-sky testing evaluations influenced development of BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software Release 2.0

    Microchip Technology Inc. has released a major software update for its BlueSky GNSS Firewall product, providing a higher level of resiliency against GPS vulnerabilities for systems dependent on GPS signal reception.

    Such systems include critical infrastructure such as power utilities, financial services, mobile networks and transportation that rely on GPS-delivered timing to ensure ongoing operations.

    Microchip’s BlueSky GNSS Firewall Software Release 2.0 performs real-time analysis to detect jamming and spoofing for protecting reception of the GPS signal and hardening response and recovery to avoid signal disruption.

    Release 2.0 includes charting and advanced threshold settings of GNSS observables such as satellites-in-view, carrier-to-noise, position dispersion, phase time deviation and radio frequency (RF) power level to simplify system turn-up and deployment.

    The release also includes improvements developed by Microchip as a result of participation in a 2019 industry live-sky testing event hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate.

    Microchip’s participation in the DHS-hosted GPS Testing for Critical Infrastructure (GET-CI) events included scenarios with spoofed signals, and helped the company identify new solutions to prevent signal disruptions. As a result, Microchip developed the Release 2.0 to address operators’ evolving requirements.

    As a leader in frequency and time systems, Microchip continuously innovates GPS signal reception security technologies for commercial and military operators similar to how network firewalls protect against virus threats. Updates are essential to defend against rapidly-evolving GNSS disruptions and enable critical infrastructure operators to avoid interruptions of service.

    When connected to Microchip’s TimePictra management software, critical infrastructure operators can monitor and analyze GNSS signals in cities, across geographic regions, throughout a country and even globally.

    Other complementary devices and software in Microchip’s suite of GPS systems and services include the TimeProvider 4100 Precise Timing Grandmaster with Gateway Clock, SyncServer 600/650 timing and frequency instrument, miniature atomic clock (MAC), Time Cesium and 5071A cesium primary frequency standard.

  • Microsemi launches latest version of precise timing grandmaster

    Microsemi launches latest version of precise timing grandmaster

    Microsemi has released its TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.0, the latest version of its TimeProvider 4100 precise timing grandmaster.

    The TimeProvider 4100 is a grandmaster complemented by extensive port fan-out for PTP, Network Time Protocol, sync and legacy building integrated timing supplies. According to the company, the TimeProvider 4100 offers multiple ports for current, legacy and future networks that can be connected to multiple base stations for 4G and 5G deployments.

    Microsemi launched its TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.0, the latest version of its TimeProvider 4100 precise timing grandmaster. (Photo: Microsemi)
    Microsemi launched its TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.0, the latest version of its TimeProvider 4100 precise timing grandmaster. (Photo: Microsemi)

    Version 2.0 of the TimeProvider 4100 includes a number of new features, including an optional expansion module with 10GE support for 1G/10G/100M fan-out, offering four SFP and four SFP+ ports; increased capacity to 790 PTP clients (up from 512 previously) at a full rate of 128 packets per second; a boundary clock that supports Class C and class D; support for Primary Reference Timing Clock Class B (ITU-T G.8272); and support for multiple operation modes.

    The unit can still behave as a fully functional grandmaster from an outputs standpoint and also has the capability to monitor various kinds of inputs, the company added. It also features a new operation mode for a high-performance boundary clock.

    According to Microsemi, TimeProvider 4100 Release 2.0 adds support for PRTC-B in addition to PRTC-A. In addition, it adds support for monitoring presentation through Microsemi’s TimePictra 10 synchronization management system.

  • BlueSky GNSS firewall from Microsemi provides secure, continuous timing integrity

    The signals transmitted from GPS and other GNSS constellations can be a threat vector that, if disrupted, could harm key critical infrastructure sectors including telecommunications, energy, transportation, emergency services and data centers.

    The susceptibilities of the GPS signal to attack, whether intentional or not, are viewed similarly as a cybersecurity threat.

    In recent months, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported GPS incidents, causing critical infrastructure providers to evaluate the security, reliability and resiliency of their GPS-based PNT dependency.

    The new BlueSky GNSS Firewall from Microsemi Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microchip Technology Inc., enables critical infrastructure providers to harden the security of their operations from GPS threats and deliver a more reliable and secure service, the company said.

    The security-hardened system provides protection against GPS threats such as jamming, spoofing and complete outage. It also supports a range of precision timing technologies, including atomic clocks, to enable continuous operation when GPS may be completely denied for extended periods.

    In addition, Microsemi is expanding the GNSS portfolio with the introduction of a BlueSky option to its TimePictra software management suite, providing centralized control and visibility of GPS reception across regional, national and global geographic areas.

    “At last year’s ION GNSS+ show we launched the BlueSky GPS Firewall Evaluation Kit to help customers understand GNSS vulnerabilities and how a firewall approach could provide protection,” said Randy Brudzinski, vice president and manager of Microsemi’s Frequency and Timing business unit. “We received valuable feedback from customers as a result of those evaluations and have incorporated new features in our second-generation BlueSky GNSS Firewall. In addition to expanded monitoring and reporting capabilities, this robust, future-proof platform is now equipped with atomic clock technology to provide security-hardened resiliency, including the ability to operate in a GNSS-denied environment for more than 30 days.”

    Microsemi has applied the same principles of a firewall used for network security to defend against GPS threats coming from the sky. Within the new BlueSky GNSS Firewall, the incoming GPS signal is analyzed in real time to detect a wide range of threats before connected GPS receivers and related systems are affected.

    The BlueSky GNSS Firewall incorporates an optional internal rubidium miniature atomic clock (MAC) enabling continuous output of the GPS signal to the downstream GPS receiver in case of complete loss of live-sky GPS reception.

    Alternatively, Microsemi’s cesium clocks, such as the 5071A or TimeCesium 4400/4500, can be connected to the device, enabling UTC traceable time for more than 30 days.

    BlueSky GPS Firewall platform features optional BlueSky software incorporated into its TimePictra management system.

    To ensure the BlueSky GNSS Firewall is equipped to defend against an ever-evolving threat, Microsemi updates and continuously tracks GPS signal manipulation, spoofing threats, jamming attacks, multipath signal interference, atmospheric activity and many other issues which can create GPS signal anomalies, disruptions and outages.

    These updates are available through a BlueSky subscription service. To learn more about Microsemi’s GPS threat protection and security solutions, including videos demonstrating how the product provides secure and resilient protection, visit the website.