News | Syncworks

Microchip Acquires Tekron International Limited

Synchronization and timing portfolio expands with Tekron’s power utilities solutions

Microchip Technology Inc. acquied Tekron International Limited, a global leader in providing high-precision GPS and atomic clock time-keeping technologies and solutions for the smart grid and other industrial applications.

“This acquisition brings Tekron’s knowledgeable team and widely adopted products to our synchronization and timing offering that has become indispensable in today’s increasingly digital, networked world,” said Randy Brudzinski, vice president of Microchip’s Frequency and Timing Systems business unit. “Precise, accurate time is an enabling ingredient for virtually all infrastructures, from data centers, communications and industrial networks to financial exchanges. Acquiring Tekron enables us to expand our offering across a broad customer base in the rapidly expanding smart energy and industrial markets.”

Microchip has established a leading position in the synchronization and timing market for communications, enterprise, government, and military and aerospace applications. Tekron extends this focus to encompass the specific industry requirements for the power utilities and industrial markets. Founded in 2002 in Wellington, New Zealand, Tekron has solved key challenges including providing precision time stamping for advanced substation automation applications; ensuring Network Time Protocol (NTP) reliability and security over computer networks; maintaining continuous time sync operation for transmission and distribution system operators; and implementing IEEE^® 1588V2 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) standards to modernize the traditional power grid.

“We are excited to have our employee family join Microchip to help expand its reach and coverage in the smart energy and industrial segments,” said Ian Mills, the outgoing Chairman of the Board with Tekron. “The transaction brings together two organizations with a shared commitment to innovation and flawless execution that is so critical in the timing and synchronization industry. We have strong mutual and complementary track records for successfully deploying this highly specialized technology in demanding applications. We look forward to expanding on this further with the joining of the New Zealand team into the Microchip family.”

About Microchip
Microchip Technology Inc. is a leading provider of smart, connected and secure embedded control solutions. Its easy-to-use development tools and comprehensive product portfolio enable customers to create optimal designs which reduce risk while lowering total system cost and time to market. The company’s solutions serve more than 120,000 customers across the industrial, automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications and computing markets. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

About Tekron
Tekron is a leading developer of accurate GPS/GLONASS clocks and time synchronization solutions that enable synchronization of advanced networks and services. Installed in over 70 countries, these solutions are used to provide critical timekeeping in national power grids, as well as civilian and military networks. Our customers are predominantly power utility network operators, telecom networks and enterprise industries such as banking and petroleum.

About Us Syncworks

Syncworks is a value-added stocking reseller of network sync and timing equipment for critical infrastructure companies. SyncCare and Field Services ensure your network equipment is flawlessly executed and supported.

As a Microchip Diamond Partner, we maintain the largest and most diversified stocking supply of Microchip network sync & timing products to meet our customers’ every need when it comes to sync and timing technology.

For more information, contact sales@syncworks.com or call (904) 280-1234

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TimeSource 3550 Upgrade

Stratum 1 Performance

The newly-introduced TimeSource® 3550 is a standalone Primary Reference Source (PRS) which provides Stratum 1 performance in GPS hostile environments via external wall mount or roof mounts. Its new highly integrated rubidium oscillator maintains extended holdover spec with reduced footprint.
TimeSource 3550 consists of single unit modules that plug into a rack-mounted shelf. It operates with an external high precision GPS timing antenna to meet GR-2830 and EN 300 462-6-1 requirements, and comes with two output ports that are software configurable for T1, E1, 2.048 MHz or composite clock to support frequency timing applications. There is also a SW License option for 8 additional outputs. TimeSource 3550 is hardware-ready for IEEE 1588v2 /PTP and Sync-E.
Two shelves are available: ANSI standard with rear connectors and ETSI standard with front facing connector access. The TimeSource 3050 modules may be used in previously supplied shelves of TimeSource 3000 and 3100 products.

Improved GPS antenna design

The new GPS antennas for the TimeSource 3550 provide advanced narrowband filtering to protect against interference from adjacent spectrum. They also provide automatic compensation for cable delay via TWTT (Two-Way Time Transfer). The GPS antenna can be installed up to 1,000 feet from the office shelf, without amplifiers, using inexpensive thin coax cable.

Environmentally Friendly

Energy-efficient hardware yields substantial OPEX savings with dramatically reduced power consumption. The product is also fully ROHS compliant (ROHS 6/6).

Key Features

Advanced multi-input clock engine
High precision timing antenna with integrated GPS receiver
Up to 1000 foot antenna cabling with automatic delay compensation
Timing accuracy of 100 ns when locked to GPS
Rubidium holdover
T1, E1, 2.048 MHz, and 10 MHz inputs and outputs
1 PPS and TOD output ports
Sync status messaging on E1/T1 ports
Integrated sync monitoring of input ports
Optional SNTP server
NEBS Level 3 compliant
Low power consumption

RELATED NEWS:

https://syncworks.com/microsemi/timesource-3×00-gps-week-number-rollover/

Microsemi supports urgently needed backup for nations GPS system

The National Resilience and Timing Security Act of 2017 is a Bipartisan Act to Establish Urgently Needed Backup for Global Positioning Systems

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Jan. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Microsemi Corporation, a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, today announced its support for the immediate passage of the National Resiliency and Timing Security Act of 2017, which was recently introduced under the leadership of Sen. Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Markey (D-Massachusetts). This act seeks to provide for the immediate establishment of an urgently needed backup for the Global Positioning System, commonly known as GPS.

GPS provides critical positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities to virtually every sector of the U.S. economy, from navigation of cars, trucks, ships and planes, to operations of telephone and data communications networks, power plants, stock exchanges and the internet. Were GPS to be disrupted, the ensuing economic impact to the nation would be severe. The successes and benefits of GPS have made it a utility for the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors, but there is no resilient, independent backup system—making GPS a single point of failure.

“This bipartisan act provides for the immediate development and build out of a backup system to increase the resilience of GPS and thereby protect the security of our national critical infrastructure,” said John Costello, Microsemi’s corporate vice president of business development and government relations. “We applaud both Senator Cruz and Senator Markey for introducing this much-needed legislation and strongly support its immediate enactment.”

SOURCES: Microsemi Corporation / PRNewWire

Microsemi CVE Security Bulletin – Syncserver S600/S650 Network Time Servers

Microsemi Corporation – CVE Security Bulletin

January 5, 2018

Microsemi CVE Security Bulletin for Syncserver S600/S650 Network Time Servers

Customer Advisory Notice (CAN)

Subject: CVE-2017-5715 and CVE-2017-5753 (Spectre), CVE-2017-5754 (Meltdown)

System: SyncServer S600/S650 Network Time Servers

Product Identity: SyncServer S600/S650 CLEI Code: N/A

Product Code(s):

090-15200-600 090-15200-601 090-15200-602
090-15200-603 090-15200-604 090-15200-605
090-15200-606 090-15200-650 090-15200-651
090-15200-652 090-15200-653

CVE-2017-5715/5753 (Spectre) and CVE-2017-5754 (Meltdown) target the way modern processors operate and manage memory. Microsemi SyncServer network time servers are not vulnerable to this type of threat as these exploits require local root access to the machine and the ability to upload and run very specific software programs while measuring the number of clock cycles required to perform the operations. Embedded systems, such as the SyncServers, are not vulnerable to these types of exploits as they do not in general allow local user accounts with privileges to upload and execute programs.

Recommended Actions: SyncServers are intended to be protected behind a firewall. In addition, the management interface should be protected from unauthorized users.

SyncServer S600/S650: No action required.

Sources:

https://www.microsemi.com/document-portal/doc_download/135737-datasheet-syncserver-s650

https://www.microsemi.com/campaigns/network-time-servers/syncserver-s600/?url=https://www.microsemi.com/campaigns/network-time-servers/S650p/%3Fgd%3D1&id=5&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjbyYBhCdARIsAArC6LL-202ej5YfDB5lMIMSZ2735qjo5yaj2i-PrvLv2Cnh_kIJtFJ0oF8aAlMpEALw_wcB

SyncServer S200/S250: These models are discontinued, are not current with respect to CVE mitigation, and as such are vulnerable to known CVEs. Microsemi highly recommends replacement with the SyncServer S600/S650 models which are actively maintained with respect to CVE mitigation.

SyncServer S300/S350: These models are discontinued, are not current with respect to CVE mitigation, and as such are vulnerable to known CVEs. Microsemi highly recommends replacement with the SyncServer S600/S650 models which are actively maintained with respect to CVE mitigation.

Microsemi Action:

Microsemi R&D, Technical Support, Quality and Product Management regularly review applicable CVEs and how best to respond. The severity and applicability of the identified CVE influences the type and timeliness of the response. The intent is to respond within industry standard response times and to document Microsemi actions.

In some cases vulnerabilities may appear in the list above (or in the future) as being present in the S600 Series SyncServer. Microsemi may or may not choose to address the vulnerability based on the applicability to the product and its intended use. If a vulnerability is relevant to the operation of the product then addressing it in a future release will be the plan.

The Microsemi online support portal will be the repository for documented CVEs as they relate to the SyncServer S600 Series products.

See more here.

About Syncworks

Syncworks is a the national leader in GPS security. Critical infrastructure in the US is a top priority at the highest level of government. Our mission is to enable, educate, and support efforts to become complaint with celestial and terrestrial GPS systems working together.

Our flagship product, the TimeProvider® 4500, is a gateway clock that accepts multiple inputs from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Synchronous Ethernet (SynE), and IEEE 1588 PTP Grandmaster Clock and E1/T1 digital transmission links.

As of January 1, 2024, we have expanded our Field Services to include Antenna Installation and Entrance Facility Cabling, Legacy Equipment Decom and Traffic Migration, Disposal (hazmat) Services, Radio Commissioning (MW, P-LTE, CBRS), Enterprise Wi-Fi.