Chip-Scale Atomic Clocks Serve Low-Power and Remote Duties

When executing system designs, there will inevitably be instances in which one requires extremely accurate clocking in battery-powered and/or remote use cases. It might be something like, say, remote sensing from an ocean floor, or space-borne systems.

One solution for such requirements is Microchip Technology’s chip-scale atomic clock devices (CSACs), which tolerate a wide range of operating temperatures, offer fast warmup, and provide high-frequency stability in harsh environments.

In a recent demo of these devices, Microchip engineers showed off the capabilities of its devices, of which there are several versions. These include one meant for space applications and a low-noise version (LN-CSAC). There’s also a rubidium oscillator that Microchip calls its Miniature Atomic Clock (MAC). The MAC represents a tradeoff between low power and high performance.

In the demo, engineers used a Microchip Technology 53100A phase-noise analyzer. It's designed to measure the amplitude, phase, and frequency stability of high-performance oscillators, crystal oscillators, atomic clocks, MEMS oscillators, or anything that can produce a frequency between 1 and 200 MHz.

Rather than relying on a reference clock input, the 53100A contains an internal reference oscillator for comparison against the DUT. The demo also featured TimeLab software, which supports the acquisition, editing, transforming, and display of data from several instruments, including the 53100A.

The TimeLab software generates Allan deviation plots, which provide a measure of frequency stability in clocks and oscillators. In this case, the plot shows frequency stability for the chip-scale atomic clock across various time periods. Toggling is allowed between frequency-stability measurements and phase-noise measurements. The demo shows the CSAC to have phase noise of about –85 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz.

The demo concludes with another (free) software tool, Clockstudio, which communicates directly with a CSAC, MAC, or LN-CSAC. This free tool unearths lots of information about the DUT, such as the serial number and hardware version, and provides links to product web pages, user guides, datasheets, and more.

Clockstudio also reads out key information about the device’s operational status, such as the device’s temperature. That measurement would be vital if you plan to deploy the device in a specific temperature profile.

Related links:

Chip-Scale Atomic Clocks

53100A phase-noise test set

TimeLab software

Clockstudio software

In executing system designs, there will be instances in which one requires extremely accurate clocking in battery-powered and/or remote use cases. It might be something like, say, remote sensing from an ocean floor, or space-borne systems. One solution for such requirements is @MicrochipTechnology's chip-scale atomic clock devices (CSACs), which tolerate a wide range of operating temperatures, offer fast warmup, and provide high frequency stability in harsh environments.