TimeFabric is here: SiTime brings software for time control in AI data centers

The US semiconductor manufacturer SiTime has released TimeFabric, a software package for time control in data centers and networks. In combination with in-house oscillators and clock chips, TimeFabric enables nine times more precise time synchronization than other products and can therefore increase system performance and utilization, explains SiTime. TimeFabric is primarily aimed at use with network hardware and accelerator cards in AI data centers. However, the application can also be used in the 5G infrastructure, for example for base stations and fixed wireless access.

More time accuracy for higher network utilization

TimeFabric includes synchronization software that complies with the IEEE 1588 standard. It uses the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) defined therein, which is now also supported by the HPE Aruba CX10040. With PTP, TimeFabric routes time signals and their delays from boundary clocks across network boundaries, for example in a router that retrieves the signal externally and distributes it internally in the network. To this end, TimeFabric supports Clock Class D, the specification with the highest accuracy in accordance with ITU recommendation G.8372.2, which has a maximum dynamic time deviation of less than five nanoseconds.

The application also supports other clocks in accordance with ITU recommendations G.8372 and G.8372.4 as well as other guidelines on frequencies and time standards. SiTime also promises a synchronization accuracy of less than one nanosecond, which should enable network architects to plan network traffic and load balancing flexibly and increase utilization. TimeFabric also includes support for hardware timestamps and includes the necessary device drivers for use with its network synchronizers.

TimeFabric doubles holdover of clocks

TimeFabric also includes proprietary extension software that doubles the holdover time of the in-house clock chips, extending it to a maximum of 24 hours. On the hardware side, the SiT5811, SiT5812 and SiT7101 Epoch oscillators and the Cascade 2 network synchronizer from SiTime have so far been able to compensate for a disruption to the reference signal for around 12 hours. This includes, for example, the failure of the reference clock or unreachable navigation satellites.

Infrastructures such as central 5G units, core routers and time-servers in data centers should benefit from the additional time stability to enable uninterrupted access to network services. Furthermore, TimeFabric automatically detects minor clock errors and automatically adjusts the local oscillator to the expected deviation in the event of a reference signal failure.

The software package is now available for SiTime's heated and temperature compensated crystal oscillators and network synchronizers. Further specifications of TimeFabric can be found on the product page.

(sfe)