Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq: MSCC) offers a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor and system solutions for aerospace & defense, communications, data center and industrial markets. Products include high-performance and radiation-hardened analog mixed-signal integrated circuits, FPGAs, SoCs and ASICs; power management products; timing and synchronization devices and precise time solutions, setting the world's standard for time; voice processing devices; RF solutions; discrete components; enterprise storage and communication solutions; security technologies and scalable anti-tamper products; Ethernet solutions; Power-over-Ethernet ICs and midspans; as well as custom design capabilities and services. Microsemi is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, and has approximately 4,800 employees globally. Learn more at www.microsemi.com.
Microsemi has expertise across highly precise timekeeping technologies, instruments and solutions. These include providing timekeeping in GPS satellites, national time references, and national power grids, as well as in critical military and civilian networks.
Small Cell Products
Microsemi timing and synchronization solutions can be found at the heart of mobile networks, providing the primary reference sources from which timing throughout the network is derived. With operators increasing small cell use and densifying networks to enable 4.5G, 4.9G and 5G capabilities, phase and frequency synchronization requirements are increasingly strict. For example, this is especially important for interference mitigation between small cells and macro base stations in dense deployments. Broadcast video delivery is another use case demanding tight phase coordination between base stations.
Microsemi is the worldwide market leader in network synchronization with an industry leading portfolio for wireless network deployment including solutions for:
- Network synchronization & management: Engineered for packet networks (SyncE & IEEE 1588) and OTN systems, Microsemi’s portfolio includes PTP grandmaster clocks to drive IEEE 1588v2 phase synchronization, NTP master clocks used for frequency synchronization and small-form factor integrated IEEE 1588 PTP grandmasters for network edge synchronization. Microsemi also offers a modular web-based synchronization management system that scales and evolves with operational requirements to monitor Microsemi IEEE 1588 grandmasters;
- Power over Ethernet (PoE): Microsemi has the largest offering of standards-compliant indoor managed PoE midspans and outdoor PoE switches, hubs and midspans to power small cells and small cell backhaul equipment.
Microsemi also offers a broad portfolio tailored to the unique challenges facing small cell network equipment designers. Industry-leading technologies include:
- Timing Expertise: Well-established SyncE and IEEE 1588 timing solutions and software with >5M devices shipped;
- MEF-Readiness: Industry’s only Ethernet switches with built-in MEF/Carrier Ethernet features;
- Secure IEEE 1588 Capability: Industry’s only Ethernet PHYs with concurrent support of IEEE 1588 time stamping and 128-bit MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE-2006) and 256-bit MACsec (IEEE 802.1AEbn-2011) without loss of 1588 accuracy;
- Tamper & Clone Resistance: Most secure FPGAs for tamper- and clone-resistant designs;
- High Integration: Highly integrated, high power WiFi RF solutions;
- Power Efficiency: Power savings up to 2W with Power over Ethernet (PoE) solutions
For designing small cells, Microsemi offers a complete portfolio of timing products for high performance network synchronization including digital Phase Locked Loops (DPLL) solutions to drive network clocks. The portfolio also includes clock management solutions, along with Ethernet switches, Ethernet PHYs, PoE ICs and Flash-based FPGAs, to simplify system and board design.
Recent Small Cell Innovations
Microsemi’s most recent innovations include its family of small form factor integrated IEEE 1588 PTP grandmasters (IGM) to provide a cost-effective, precise timing master for network edge synchronization. Integrating both GNSS antenna and GNSS receiver, Microsemi’s IGM 1588 grandmasters eliminate the need for an outdoor antenna and associated cabling. The family includes multiple versions to serve different deployment scenarios:
- Indoor Universal IEEE 1588 Integrated GNSS Grandmaster (IGM-1100i): Designed for easy interior wall or ceiling-mount installation, this integrated grandmastersolves the problem of delivering precise GNSS-based time indoors where GPS signals usually cannot be received;
- Outdoor IEEE 1588 Integrated GNSS Grandmaster (IGM-1100o): Ruggedized to support a wider temperature range, the IGM-1100o is ideal for deployments where building materials, low GNSS signal strength or other factors interfere with indoor GNSS-based small cell synchronization. Intended for installation on a rooftop, in an outdoor cabinet or hut, Microsemi’s outdoor grandmaster can serve eNodeBs from the very edge of the mobile network with minimal hops to the node.
- Small Form Factor IEEE 1588 Integrated GNSS Grandmaster (IGM-1100x): The IGM-1100x is engineered for deployments with a pre-existing GNSS antenna, or where the GNSS cabling would be short enough to be cost-effective and easily installed.
Leveraging the same software across the IGM family, operators can deploy these smaller grandmasters at the very edge of wireless networks, lowering opex and improving customer experience with enhanced coverage and performance. The IGM 1588 grandmasters serve operators preparing for 5G through densification and enterprises looking to improve indoor capacity and coverage on LTE and LTE-A networks.
