Tiny MEMS mobile clock generator for 5G and GNSS

SiTime Corporation has introduced Symphonic, its inaugural mobile clock generator, designated as part number SiT30100, featuring an integrated MEMS resonator. Symphonic is designed to provide precise and resilient clock signals for 5G and GNSS chipsets, optimizing power consumption in mobile and IoT devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops, and asset trackers. This clock generator targets a potential $2 billion served addressable market (SAM) over the next five years.

CEO and chairman of SiTime, Rajesh Vashist, emphasized the evolving nature of mobile devices, stating, “Every generation of mobile devices becomes smarter, delivering greater functionality, personalization, and automation.” Vashist highlighted the importance of timing devices that can withstand increasing thermal and mechanical stresses as processing and connectivity speeds advance. The latest mobile clock generator from SiTime aims to provide the precision timing necessary for the enhanced connectivity of next-generation mobile devices.

The Symphonic clock generator stands out with its integrated MEMS resonator, offering the functionality equivalent to up to four discrete timing devices. This integration simplifies system design, leading to reduced board space requirements. Additionally, an integrated temperature sensor provides accurate data for compensation algorithms, ensuring superior stability. This feature enhances GPS accuracy, reduces lock time at the system level, and promotes stable performance even in challenging environmental conditions.

According to Dave Altavilla, president and principal analyst at HotTech Vision and Analysis, maintaining the reliability of wireless and GPS protocol-dependent systems and services is crucial to meet the demands of increasingly sophisticated wireless devices and use cases. Altavilla views SiTime’s new clock generator as a prime example of how precision timing technology plays a vital role in enabling AI-driven mobile experiences.

Symphonic boasts a four-output clock generator that can deliver frequencies of 76.8 MHz, 38.4 MHz, or 19.2 MHz from any output for baseband, RF, and GNSS applications. The integrated MEMS resonator eliminates the need for an external resonator, resulting in a compact, single-chip footprint occupying just 2.22 mm² of space. With an integrated high-precision temperature-to-digital converter (TDC) featuring a single-wire Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) interface for system-level temperature compensation, the clock generator ensures frequency stability as low as ±0.5ppm. Multiple output-enable pins allow for turning clock outputs on and off to optimize system power and reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Operating within a temperature range of -30°C to +90°C, the mobile clock generator offers superior performance and dynamic stability even under conditions of airflow and thermal shock. SiTime’s Symphonic clock generator represents a significant advancement in precision timing technology, catering to the evolving needs of mobile and IoT devices in an increasingly connected world.