ADVA has launched a set of edge and access network synchronization devices with enhanced capabilities for next-generation applications such as 5G. These latest Oscilloquartz solutions address key challenges for a wide range of industries by bringing new levels of timing accuracy and resilience to edge networks.
The OSA 5412 and 5422 offer precise phase, frequency and time-of-day synchronization and can be used for time-as-a-service applications. Communication service providers, enterprises, broadcast networks and power utilities can deploy synchronization technology at the edge that features multi-band for nanosecond accuracy.
The OSA 5412 and 5422 utilize in-service sync probing and assurance as well as innovative GNSS assurance capabilities. The products also provide support for eight field-upgradeable 10Gbit/s ports, ensuring the scale and efficiency needed for next-generation smart grids, industrial IoT applications and 5G connectivity.
The OSA 5412 is a highly flexible access network synchronization solution that offers compact and cost-effective timing distribution and assurance. The OSA 5422 is engineered for the most extreme conditions. It meets stringent frequency and phase synchronization requirements, delivers the best holdover performance of any edge device on the market, and supports multiple legacy interfaces such BITS and IRIG.
Both solutions address new ITU-T specifications, including for class A and B PRTCs, ePRTCs with strict holdover requirements, and the newly improved class C and D boundary clocks. They also feature onboard multi-band, multi-constellation GNSS receivers that overcome ionospheric delay variation far more cost-efficiently than rival solutions using high-end rubidium oscillators.
The OSA 5412 and 5422 support multiple PTP profiles, NTP and SyncE with a high number of 1/10GbE ports. Both devices are engineered with optional OLED display and with hot-swappable modules and power supplies to be easily upgraded in the field.
“Our latest solutions build on the great success we’ve had with our access synchronization product line. Now operators can harness the power of multi-band GNSS receivers to deliver highly accurate, UTC-traceable timing at the network edge. That enables the availability and precision that will be essential for tomorrow’s services,” said Nir Laufer, senior director, product line management, Oscilloquartz, ADVA.
“By extending the feature set of our edge technology, we’re empowering CSPs to smoothly transition to the reliability and accuracy required for 5G and, at the same time, enabling our unique innovation to be used across a wide range of verticals,” Laufer said. “With support for 10Gbit/s and 1Gbit/s interfaces as well as hardware timestamping, our access timing products are the ultimate in future-proof, space-efficient synchronization.”
“Access grandmaster clocks need to meet stricter demands for accuracy and reliability than ever before, and many industries have their own specific set of stringent timing requirements. That’s why we’ve evolved our portfolio of edge and access network synchronization solutions for the specific challenges of the 5G era,” said Gil Biran, general manager, Oscilloquartz, ADVA.
“Our OSA 5412 and 5422 answer the most urgent timing needs of mission-critical infrastructure in multiple verticals,” Biran said. “They provide nanosecond precision, an abundance of fan-out interface options and operational simplicity thanks to the management and monitoring capabilities of our Ensemble Controller with Sync Director. Operators of broadcast, healthcare, financial networks and more now have a straightforward and affordable path from legacy to next-generation timing.”
The Empire State Building sits atop a massive and solid foundation that hardly anyone ever sees. Above ground it has 2.8 million square feet of offices and hundreds of businesses. It houses 15,000 workers. Yet it would all come crashing down if the underlying and unseen foundation weren’t incredibly strong and dependable.
Timing is the unseen foundation of every networked technology, digital broadcast, financial transaction, electrical grid management and of most navigation systems, just to name a few applications. Yet, as GPS World readers know, signals from our dominant source of timing — GPS — are very faint and easily disrupted.
Short term, localized disruptions happen all the time, and many systems have adapted. A delivery driver using a jammer to hide from his boss is unlikely to disrupt a cell base station as he passes by, for example.
Photo: Georgijevic/E+/Getty Images
But more serious threats are out there. More and more hobbyists are finding ways to spoof receivers. Every few decades the sun flares strongly enough to fry satellites or charge the ionosphere. And because there are so few alternatives, GPS and other GNSS have become huge, tempting targets for adversary nations, terrorists, and sophisticated hackers.
Instead of Manhattan bedrock, our timing foundation is sometimes more like shifting sands.
Systems engineering tells us that, if something is essential, there ought to be two, three or more independent ways of receiving it. Most aircraft, for example, have two or three systems powering the flight controls — because controlled flight is important!
The white paper “A Resilient National Timing Architecture” outlines how the United States can leverage existing infrastructure and provide all citizens two, and many of them three, independent paths to coordinated universal time (UTC).
It proposes a national timing back- bone of mature technologies with very different failure modes — GNSS, eLoran and fiber. This combination will provide rock-solid timing at the 500 ns or better level of accuracy relative to UTC everywhere across the nation, and at 100 ns or better in major metro areas. Users accessing two or more systems would be nearly bulletproof to timing service disruptions.
The National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018 mandated a terrestrial system to back up GPS timing. Our white paper provides a path forward.
Complying with the law while benefiting current and future technologies should be sufficient motivation. If it isn’t, we must also realize that not acting on this will continue to place us behind other nations such as the United Kingdom, South Korea, Russia and China — all of whom are actively reinforcing their national timing systems.
The task will not be a simple one. Yet America was able to overcome the expense and difficulties of building GPS, at the time the world’s most refined and complex technology, and put it in space. By comparison, establishing a resilient national timing architecture using existing technology in our homeland would be child’s play.
Timing is essential. It is infrastructure for our infrastructure. If our national timing is weak, so is everything that is built upon it.
We will profit from ensuring our timing is as strong, resilient, and easily accessed as possible.
“In some specific cases, e.g., for critical infrastructures and applications requiring both continuous availability and fail-safe operations, GNSS cannot be the sole means of positioning and timing information.” European Radionavigation Plan, 2018
The Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy, is the preferred demonstration site. (Photo: European Commission)
The European Commission is undertaking a GNSS backup technology demonstration, much like the one completed by the U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this year. Companies from many countries outside the European Union, including the United States, are eligible to participate. Responses are due by Jan. 13, 2021.
A tender issued on Oct. 26 says that the goal is for the commission to better understand available non-GNSS PNT technologies. Also, they are interested in services that can provide positioning and navigation, and/or time.
Completely Independent from GNSS
Since the intent is to provide a backup for GNSS during an outage, all offered technologies must be completely independent. Specifically, they must have “no common points of failure with GNSS.”
Some industry observers have opined that this eliminates any space-based capabilities from consideration. Coronal mass ejections from the sun have long been considered a threat to satellites. Others have wondered if networked-based solutions could be also excluded because of frequent use of GNSS for synchronization, billing and other applications.
Another requirement is that offered technologies be capable of covering the entire EU territory, including inland waters. While this might seem to rule out fiber-based timing systems, advocates say that is not necessarily the case. They contend a fiber network supporting dispersed transmitters would serve both fixed and mobile applications, and reach users for whom connecting to a fiber node is not feasible.
Other requirements listed in the tender for offered technologies include:
Resilience to GNSS jamming, spoofing, and unintentional interference
Technical readiness levels of 5 or more for positioning and navigation, 6 or more for timing
Able to perform for at least a day during a loss of GNSS
Positioning accuracy < 100 m horizontal, or timing accuracy < 1 microsecond relative to UTC
If timing is included, it must be traceable to UTC
The Demonstration
A webinar for potential offerors was held on Nov. 4. Although it was not recorded, the slides shown are available at the RNT Foundation website. One update to the slides is a new email replacing the one of the first slide. All inquiries should be sent to the project leader at [email protected].
Up to seven companies, presumably each demonstrating different technologies, will be accepted into the program.
The preferred demonstration site is the European Commission’s Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy. Recognizing that transporting equipment and traveling to Italy might be a challenge for many companies, the tender states’ commission personnel are willing to travel to other locations to see systems demonstrated.
The JRC Ispra campus covers 170 hectares with 100 buildings and 36 km of roads. It provides state-of-the-art laboratories, smart city infrastructure (grids, homes, mobility), and varied topography with urban, semi-urban, rural and woodland areas. (Image: EC)
Information on All Technologies Sought
Unlike the European Space Agency’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP), companies from outside of the EU are invited to respond to the tender and could be selected. This reflects the commission’s desire to include as many technologies and collect as much information as possible.
Limited funding for the demonstration, pandemic travel restrictions, the need for infrastructure to support wide-area signals, and other obstacles may prevent some companies from participating in this effort. The commission’s overall goal, though, is to get information about as many technology options as possible.
So, while not stated in the tender, the commission is eager to hear from technology companies, even if they do not want to be considered as a part of demonstration project. All are invited to contact project leader Ignacio Alcantrailla-Medina. All information is welcome, though most important are a technology’s performance, technical readiness level (TRL), and if it can be deployed in the European Union.
We understand that, as is the case in the United States, solutions delivering timing are of particular interest.
Combining the data from the demonstration project with other information gathered, the commission hopes to be able to identify a way forward with alternative PNT in Europe by the end of 2021.
The QR100 and QR201 anti-jamming devices. (Photo: Quantum Reversal)
Quantum Reversal has added several new models to its flagship anti-jamming line. The company introduced in February the QR100 L1/L2 GPS anti-jamming unit and the QR101 L1/L2 GPS anti-jamming antenna.
The current solution consists now of five products designed for the commercial market to solve the issue of unintentional RF interference or jamming:
QR100 – GPS dual frequency L1/L2 anti-jamming unit
QR200 – GPS dual frequency L1/L2 anti-jamming antenna
QR101 – GNSS multi frequency bands anti-jamming unit
QR201 – GNSS multi frequency bands anti-jamming antenna
QR202 – GNSS multi frequency band anti-jamming antenna with additional L-band reception
(1520-1560 MHz)
All models provide robust GPS or GNSS navigation solution, blocking intentional jamming and unintentional RF interference for services such as timing or 3D positioning.
All the products are lightweight (230 grams for QR1xx series and 500 grams for QR2xx series) with low power consumption (1-1.5 Watt typically, depending on the configuration), and can be mounted on any platform (cars, poles, drones, etc.).
Quantum Reversal operates in the information and wireless technology sector, developing innovative wireless and antenna technologies for various commercial markets. The QR team has experience designing products for applications in space, underwater, robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the commercial and user end. Each application requires a specific solution to deal with specific environmental (pressure, temperature, vibration, etc.) and operational conditions.
The company sells stand alone products as well as OEM products that can be integrated within the customer products.
“We cannot have GPS signals be a single point of failure for transportation and other critical infrastructure sectors. More safety applications will depend on PNT in the future. Public confidence in these will be critical.
“People will not be comfortable getting into an automated vehicle or with platooning driverless trucks heading down the highway if they think that their invisible hand is not reliable and that their GPS might be spoofed.
“Getting public adoption of other PNT capabilities — space-based, terrestrial, and self-contained — integrated with GPS technology will be critical to the success of any such system.”
— Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Nov. 20, 2019, Edinburgh, U.K.
A Single Point of Failure
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for leading civil positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) issues for the United States. At the moment, the U.S. GPS provides the vast majority of PNT services in the U.S. and around the world. Yet, like all space-based systems, its signals are weak and very vulnerable to interference.
A recent example of how dangerous that can be in automated transportation systems was revealed recently in an accident report released by the British government. Interference from an unknown source caused a 15.5 kg drone to get away from its operator and crash. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The report cited analysis showing that such a weight could have easily killed someone on the ground.
Even more concerning, GPS signal characteristics are well known and therefore easy to imitate. Thousands of cases of “spoofing” have been documented with government and malicious actors causing receivers to report they are far from their actual location. In the worst cases, this can cause accidents or enable criminal acts.
One result of all of this is the President of the United States issuing an Executive Order encouraging “responsible use” of PNT systems. It also directs steps to encourage development and adoption of alternative systems. This includes a White House-level plan for research and development of non-Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) PNT.
In Europe the European Union (EU) has warned that space based PNT alone is insufficient for “…critical applications requiring continuous availability and fail-safe operations.” The EU has also established a monitoring system to detect sources of GNSS interference, and the European Space Agency (ESA) has established an on-going program funding study of both space and terrestrial alternate PNT systems.
Multiple Cooperating Systems
The ultimate solution, though, according to senior government officials, will be development and use of many diverse PNT systems working together to ensure users have what they need when and where they need it.
Image: DOT
The National PNT Architecture, jointly developed by the US departments of Defense and Transportation, envisions a multitude of PNT sources ranging from GNSS provided by national governments, to inertial and clock suites acquired by users as needed.
“Many people are fond of talking about a GPS backup,” said one administration official.
“It’s more appropriate to use the plural ‘backups’ since one system isn’t going to meet everyone’s needs. Even GPS doesn’t meet everyone’s needs which is why we require complementary PNT capabilities.”
The idea that multiple redundancies are required for an essential function as long been a core principle of systems engineering. This is clearly foundational in the National PNT Architecture.
It is also a feature in more recent documents.
One example is the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) PNT strategy publicly released in August of last year. It envisions use of a multitude of systems as a way of “Ensuring a U.S. Military PNT Advantage.”
Image: DOD
It categorizes these in three layers. A global layer of GNSS and other satellites, a regional layer that includes STOIC and eLoran, and a local/autonomous layer populated by inertial, clock, lidar, radar, scene matching and beacon-based systems.
Another project taking the architecture approach is described in detail by the recently completed MarRINav report. Sponsored by the European Space Agency, it analyzed the PNT needs of maritime commerce in the United Kingdom.
The project concluded that a “hybrid approach” using GNSS, eLoran, and the short-range R-mode VDES would be the best and least expensive combination for maritime. It also recommended a local navigation system such as Locata for port cargo operations. The study found that such a combination of systems would also benefit other transportation and infrastructure sectors.
Implementation
Yet identifying solutions is often much easier than making them happen. Especially for national projects with dozens of stakeholders. Stakeholders who may often have competing interests. And there is always the question of “Who pays?”
In the United States both the Congress and the executive branch of the U.S. government are addressing these issues, and in potentially complementary ways.
Congressional Mandates. With GPS as the cornerstone, both the DoD strategy and the National PNT Architecture show the need for one or more complementary systems to “overcome PNT capability gaps, predominantly resulting from the limitations of GPS.”
According to one senior official close to the issue, these systems need to be, “integrated with GPS and each other” and within the U.S. “serve all parts of the country — urban, rural, wilderness — even coastal maritime areas.” The idea being that they will constantly reinforcing GPS services while also serving as a safety net for users when during GPS disruptions.
The National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018 requires DoT to begin filling this layer in the National Architecture by the end of this year. The law, passage of which was overwhelmingly supported by both parties, mandates the department establish a difficult to disrupt, wide area, terrestrial timing system to backup (and complement) GPS timing signals. The system also must be expandable to provide navigation services. Even as a timing service, though, it has the potential to make navigation more reliable. Studies have shown that combining such a timing signal with GPS and other GNSS signals can dramatically decrease users’ vulnerability to jamming and spoofing.
The law also enables the system or systems to be established by leveraging commercial entities and expertise through cooperative agreements, public-private partnerships, and similar arrangements. These tend to be the most expeditious and least costly methods for putting such services in place. As such, they are expected to be very attractive to government program and contracting officials.
On military side, the in-process National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 requires DoD to quickly complete this part of their architecture also. Hinting that the department has failed to respond to combatant commanders “Joint Urgent Operational Needs,” it directs DoD to provide warfighters non-GPS PNT by 2023. It also directs the department to “enable civilian and commercial adoption of [these] technologies and capabilities”.
Presidential Order. The administration’s approach is outlined in a February 2020 presidential Executive Order. The order focuses on commercial entities that contract with the government, critical infrastructure, and research and development.
It calls for, within the next 24 months, agencies to “develop contractual language for inclusion … n the requirements for Federal contracts … with the goal of encouraging the private sector to use additional PNT services and develop new robust and secure PNT services.” The hope is that these new services will be adopted beyond just those companies who routinely serve government needs.
The departments of Energy, Transportation, and Homeland Security are also required to publish plans on how they will engage various critical infrastructure sectors to evaluate the degree of responsible use of PNT by each.
Also, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is tasked to “coordinate the development of a national plan… for the R&D and pilot testing of additional, robust, and secure PNT services that are not dependent on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).” OSTP has already begun this and is seeking input from the public.
Competition and Many Players
Because PNT user needs are so varied and nuanced, most industry observers see growing opportunities for existing and potentially new providers.
“Systems and equipment that improve GNSS services, or that complement and augment GNSS are likely to find ready markets,” said Andrew Bach, a consultant on financial and other PNT issues. “User demands and needs are only going to become more sophisticated as their economic exposure increases.”
Congressional and administration focus on alternative PNT should enhance and multiply such opportunities. So, while there may be no silver bullet for solving national PNT concerns, the need for a robust and resilient architecture of PNT systems will likely mean abundant opportunities for providers.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is asking for ideas on what technology to research to protect GPS. The research and development dollars are earmarked for projects that minimize or eliminate disruption to critical infrastructure from intentional and unintentional interference.
The office is seeking input “from all interested parties on the development of a National Research and Development Plan for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Resilience.
“The plan will focus on the research and development (R&D) and pilot testing needed to develop additional PNT systems and services that are resilient to interference and manipulation and that are not dependent upon global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).
“The plan will also include approaches to integrate and use multiple PNT services for enhancing resilience,” the RFI states.
The effort is specifically headed by the Subcommittee on Resilience Science and Technology (SRST.) “The input received on these topics will assist the subcommittee in developing recommendations for prioritization of R&D activities,” the RFI states.
Deadline for comments is 11:59 pm ET on Sept. 9.
Responses should be submitted via email to [email protected] — include “RFI Response: PNT Resilience” in the subject line of the message.
The F-110 frigate being developed for the Spanish Navy. (Artist’s concept: Spanish Ministry of Defense)
The technology multinational GMV has signed a contract with Spanish corporation Navantia to develop and supply its SENDA navigation system for the future F-110 frigates.
The F-110 frigates represent a technological leap forward in platform systems and its combat system, incorporating Industry 4.0 technologies to improve lifecycle-long system management.
The various F-110 systems call for a continuous, precise, and trustworthy positioning, speed and attitude source. With this purpose in mind, SENDA incorporates multi-constellation (GPS and Galileo) satellite navigation technology compatible with both civil and military signals, plus differential GNSS corrections. It combines its GNSS navigation data with data received from external sensors, such as inertial navigation systems (INS) and pitometer logs. It includes state-of-the-art algorithms to provide robust navigation in contested GNSS scenarios.
SENDA also includes a timing server that generates highly precise and stable timing signals, allowing the ship’s systems to synchronize with GPS time. SENDA guarantees timing-reference stability and negligible drift, even during prolonged periods of GPS downtime.
SENDA is a redundant system with two complete functional subsystems working in active-active configuration, together with redundant GNSS signal distribution. Both systems, monitored in real time, exchange information to provide the overall system with the best possible solution.
GMV has experience in aeronautics, land and naval sectors with platforms such as the Atlante tactical long-endurance UAV, the 8×8 Dragon ground vehicle and now the F-110 frigates.
GMV worked with the Spanish Ministry of Defense MoD to develop a system prototype during the F-110 definition phase. The future F-110 frigates will replace the current Santa María class frigates starting in 2026.
Jackson Labs Technologies (JTL) has launched the PNT-6220 Assured Reference — a product combining low-Earth-orbit (LEO) signals, GNSS, terrestrial, wireline and atomic clock services in one small solution, specifically designed for critical infrastructure applications.
The PNT-6220 reference seamlessly combines concurrent L1, L2, L3 and L5 GNSS reception with a custom JLT-designed LEO-based Satellite Time and Location (STL) timing receiver. It also includes terrestrial receivers and PTP/IEEE-1588 edge grandmaster (EGM) and PTP/IEEE-1588-slave capability.
The PNT-6220 provides assured PNT for critical infrastructure applications such as those described in the directives of Presidential Executive Order 13905.
It can serve as a timing reference for 5G equipment, an ePRTC-capable reference, or a high-performance disciplined reference that supports PTP/IEEE-1588, STL, RF distribution and multi-frequency GNSS capability.
The PNT-6220 will be able to select the most optimal UTC reference input automatically and auto-switchover among its numerous reference inputs if one or more of them are jammed or spoofed, as well as average several references for additional stability and accuracy.
If all external references are jammed, the unit can provide UTC timing from its internal holdover oscillator with options that have less than 100-ns drift over 24 hours. The unit is also capable of outputting a GPS RF distribution signal driven by the internal flywheel oscillator, which allows glue-less retrofitting of any GPS-based legacy user equipment to the state-of-the-art reference sources the PNT-6220 can receive by simply plugging into the legacy equipment GPS antenna input.
Available Options
Numerous options are available for the half-width 19-inch-wide rack-mount box.
Enhanced Oscilloquartz portfolio enables seamless transition to PTP timing from the core to the substation
Photo: Business Wire/Oscilloquartz
ADVA has upgraded its portfolio of Oscilloquartz PTP grandmaster clocks, enabling power utilities to smoothly transition to packet network synchronization.
The enhanced technology will empower electricity providers to evolve their infrastructure into smart grids based on precision time protocol (PTP) power profiles, while at the same time supporting all legacy timing signals.
Updates to ADVA’s Oscilloquartz pluggable solution, its compact small cell device, its mid-size PTP grandmasters and its fully redundant core timing technology ensure ultra-precise timing throughout a utility network.
The technology also removes the risk of relying purely on satellite-based time sources through continuous monitoring, jamming and spoofing detection and AI-assisted analytics.
ADVA’s entire range of Oscilloquartz grandmaster clocks has been upgraded to meet the latest PTP profiles for time, frequency and phase synchronization in power utility networks. This includes:
OSA 5401 small form-factor pluggable,
OSA 5405 for indoor and outdoor substation deployments,
OSA 5420 Series,
Highly scalable OSA 5430 and 5440 with 10Gbit/s interfaces and fully redundant hardware.
The technologies enable an easy migration to an Ethernet-based timing network with support for PTP, Network Time Protocol and SyncE, as well as IRIG-B, PPS and BITS legacy interfaces.
PTP-based backup combined with multi-band GNSS receivers and advanced monitoring capabilities ensure that the upgraded solutions provide highly reliable delivery of precise timing information even during long GNSS outages.
To create an ePRTC solution, ADVA’s Oscilloquartz cesium clocks can also be combined with the OSA 5420, 5430 or 5440. This delivers extended holdover of up to 70 nanoseconds for 14 days, even when GNSS signals are unavailable.
Next-generation phase noise instrument combines timing technologies in a smaller, higher performance measurement instrument
Photo: Microchip Technology
To help research and manufacturing engineers make precise and accurate measurement of frequency signals, including those generated by atomic clocks and other high-performance frequency reference modules and subsystems, Microchip Technology Inc. has announced the availability of the new 53100A Phase Noise Analyzer, a next-generation phase noise test instrument.
The 53100A Phase Noise Analyzer is designed for engineers and scientists who rely on precise and accurate measurement of frequency signals generated for 5G networks, data centers, commercial and military aircraft systems, space vehicles, communication satellites and metrology applications.
Capable of measuring radio frequency (RF) signals up to 200 MHz, the new test instrument rapidly acquires frequency signals and characterizes the phase noise, jitter, Allan deviation (ADEV) and time deviation (TDEV) quickly and precisely. All attributes of a frequency reference can be completely characterized with a single instrument within minutes.
The 53100A Phase Noise Analyzer enables a variety of configurations by allowing up to three separate devices to be tested simultaneously using a single reference, enabling higher capacity for stability measurements. At 344 x 215 x 91mm (13.5 x 8.5 x 3.6 inches), the phase noise test instrument is small enough for integration into manufacturing automated test equipment (ATE) systems, yet powerful enough for laboratory-grade metrology. Its interface provides backward compatibility with Microchip’s 51xxA test sets’ command and data stream, reducing the need to redesign existing ATE infrastructure.
The 53100A Phase Noise Analyzer provides flexibility by allowing an input reference device to be connected through the front panel at a different nominal frequency than the device under test — allowing a single reference to characterize a variety of oscillator products. Rubidium frequency standards such as Microchip’s 8040C-LN or a quartz oscillator such as Microchip’s 1000C Ovenized Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) could be used as a reference as well as other manufacturers’ precise oscillators.
The 53100A Phase Noise Analyzer is available now. Microchip supports the 53100A Phase Noise Analyzer with technical support services as well as an extended warranty.
Precise timing grandmaster with gateway clock and high-performance boundary clock enhances 5G mobile network phase protection
To help 5G mobile providers, cable operators and utility providers ensure phase delivery, protection and synchronization even when GNSS is offline, jammed or spoofed, Microchip Technology Inc. has released software version 2.1 for its TimeProvider 4100 precision timing grandmaster.
TimeProvider 4100 is a 1588 grandmaster including support for the latest ITU-T G.8275.1 and G.8275.2 1588 phase profiles, complemented by extensive port fan-out for PTP, Network Time Protocol (NTP), SyncE, and E1/T1.
Software release 2.1 builds on earlier versions by adding key software enhancements providing a virtual Primary Reference Time Clock (vPRTC). Virtual PRTC provides the ability to design a redundant precise time distribution architecture for phase protection over an optical network.
Until recently the main source of precise time has been GPS and other constellations that comprise GNSS. Deployment of GNSS, however, can be costly for service providers given the costs associated with upgrading to GNSS-capable receivers and antennae as well as increasing densification of end points.
As a result, telecom, cable and utility operators deploying vPRTC benefit from solutions where GNSS dependency is reduced or eliminated. Following are key features of the new vPRTC functionality:
Leverages the existing optical network, avoiding high-cost dark fiber expenses
Uses a dedicated lambda to transport time precisely and securely
Provides a high-performance, redundant source of time through enhanced PRTC (ITU-T G.8272.1)
Allows bidirectional, precise time flows (east and west)
Chains together high-precision, multi-domain, high-performance boundary clocks that meet today’s standards (T-BC Class D, as defined by ITU-T G.8273.2)
Microchip’s vPRTC multi-domain architecture is a cost-effective solution providing a high-performance, redundant, sub-5 nanosecond distribution of precise time over regional and national networks.
In addition, Release 2.1 introduces Network Time Protocol daemon (NTPd) with Message Digest (MD5) security algorithm.
TimeProvider 4100 2.1 meets PRTC-B performance standards (per ITU-T G.8272) and supports 1G and 10G, NTP and PTP in a single form-factor system. TimeProvider 4100 2.1 is available now for both new and already deployed systems.
On Oct. 24, 2019, representatives from 11 nations met in Moscow and agreed to a “Radio Navigation Development Plan for Participating Commonwealth of Independent States for 2019 to 2024.” The Russian version is here; a version in English produced by Google Translate can be found here.
Most government documents like this, regardless of the country, tend to be more overviews of current systems vice real plans for a way forward. In this case, though, this seems to be much more of a plan. It documents existing systems, recent accomplishments, user needs, and the upgrades and changes required to meet those needs.
The plan makes clear Russia’s significant concern with GNSS signal disruption (one might opine this is justified as they disrupt the signals so much themselves). As a result, the plan dedicates significant space to combatting disruption and making users more resilient by integrating space and terrestrial systems into a more robust and resilient PNT architecture.
It also seems to confirm a mobile terrestrial PNT capability, likely for military use, that has received little public attention.
Note on Translation and Terminology: The copy of the plan we found was in Russian. We used Google Translate to create an English version. One translation issue that we noticed was several variations of the way the Russian terrestrial Loran PNT system is described. The Russian Loran system is named “Chayka,” literally “Seagull” in English. References in the translated version to “Chaika,” “Loran,” “Laurent,” “Seagull” and “Tropic” are all some version of “Loran.”
User requirements
Early on the plan provides a detailed discussion of user requirements for each mode of transportation and for timing users. This user focus continues throughout the document. The table for timing users did not transition well during conversion of the document to English and is reproduced below:
Click to enlarge. (Source: “Radio Navigation Development Plan for Participating Commonwealth of Independent States for 2019 to 2024”)
Strategic approach
While not overtly stated, one can see that Russia and its Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) partners have a very strategic view of PNT and how they can leverage it.
Click to enlarge. (Map: “Radio Navigation Development Plan for Participating Commonwealth of Independent States for 2019 to 2024”)
This graphic from the plan speaks volumes. Russian/CIS domestic PNT covers 14% of the earth’s land mass (compared to 6.6% for the U.S.). A good portion of China’s belt and road passes through. Resilient and robust navigation is going to be especially important for a wide variety of reasons.
Concerns about i nterference
The plan discusses GNSS interference at length, listing 13 operational electronic systems (radars, TV channels, etc.) with emissions that could impact reception.
Among the recommendations to counter interference, the plan suggests creation of a system to monitor GNSS frequencies and identify disruptions, use of multiple GLONASS frequencies, and integrating GLONASS, GPS and terrestrial systems within users’ receivers.
“Integration of terrestrial and space RNS will allow creating separate navigation areas superior in technical the characteristics of each of its constituent systems…One of the ways to integrate ground and space RNS is integration of systems like “Seagull” [Loran] and GLONASS. Integrated systems “Seagull” / GLONASS may in the future used as the main systems for route stages navigation.”
Integration of inertial and Loran sensors with GNSS has already been done for some “consumer equipment.” The plan also says that at least one version of Seagull/Loran is being modernized.
Loran and GNSS
Russia’s version of Differential GNSS and Eurofix is done using Loran towers and signals.
In the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus there is a ground navigation base that supports control technology transmission corrective information from regional differential GNSS satellite subsystems using Eurofix technology. In Russian Federation, this base is presented in the form of pulse-phase RNS types “The Seagull,” “Tropic-2V” and “Tropic-2C.” Modernization in progress a similar station located in the city of Slonim of the Republic of Belarus.
Some of the advantages of this are listed as coverage of a large area (600- 2,200 km) at relatively low cost, improved channel uptime and availability, data transmission in urban and mountainous areas, and that Loran and GLONASS/GPS are complementary and provide backups for each other.
It also points out that Loran and GNSS are mutually supportive in other ways:
GNSS location determinations can be used to calibration of readings RSDN and compensate for errors due to the propagation of radio wave. In turn the data Laurent-C/Seagull can be used to monitor the integrity of satellite RNS.
Mobile Loran/Scorpio
One system that we have heard very little about in the last five years is Russia’s “Scorpio” or “Skorpion.” It was initially assessed by a US Army journal as a mobile, military PNT system, for space-denied battle.
This document shows it as an on-going Ministry of Defense research and development modernization program. Also, as a mobile form of the Tropic-2P variant of Seagull/Loran.
In the period until 2020, a planned replacement of mobile long-range radio navigation systems “Tropic-2P” to the information system coordinate-temporal support “Scorpio”. As part of the complex equipment there are local control and correction stations, which can significantly improve the accuracy of determining coordinates consumers.
The way forward
At over a hundred pages, this plan has a lot of information. It includes a table of 19 different navigation systems maintained by the government and the plan for each. This table also suffered when the document was transformed into the English version. The manual re-recreation is below:
Click to enlarge. (Source: “Radio Navigation Development Plan for Participating Commonwealth of Independent States for 2019 to 2024”)Click to enlarge. (Source: “Radio Navigation Development Plan for Participating Commonwealth of Independent States for 2019 to 2024”)
