Paige West speaks with Piyush Sevalia, Executive Vice President, Marketing, SiTime about the newest member of the SiTime Elite RF family.
SiTime has introduced the SiT5977 Super-TCXO, the latest addition to its Elite RF family, aimed at providing tighter synchronisation and improved efficiency in high-performance systems. In a recent discussion, Sevalia elaborated on what makes this timing solution unique.
At the core of the SiT5977 is SiTime’s MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology, which differs significantly from traditional quartz-based timing solutions. The key advantage of SiTime’s approach lies in the physical properties of MEMS. With a die size of just 0.5 x 0.5mm, its low mass makes it highly resilient to mechanical stress such as vibration and shock.
Beyond mechanical robustness, SiTime integrates both MEMS and analog design expertise under one roof, unlike the quartz industry, which often outsources analog design. This co-optimisation allows for superior frequency stability, particularly in environments with rapid temperature changes.
A major differentiator of the SiT5977 is its ability to combine jitter performance and stability within a single device, reducing the need for separate components. This results in a smaller footprint – one-quarter the size of competing quartz solutions – allowing for more efficient system design. “We are 1/4 the size because we're doing it all inside the same device,” Sevalia said. This size reduction enables system designers to allocate more space for processing power, which is crucial for data-intensive applications.
The integration of digital control further simplifies system architectures, particularly in AI-driven applications. The elimination of external low-dropout regulators (LDOs) and enhanced jitter performance directly impact AI system efficiency.
Network synchronisation plays a critical role in maintaining high-performance data transfer, and the SiT5977 enhances this capability. By improving timing precision, it enables finer-grained network telemetry, which is essential for efficient queuing of network traffic.
On the topic of sustainability, SiTime’s approach reduces power consumption by consolidating timing functions. “If you're using two separate devices, just getting the signals in and out of the chips consumes additional power,” Sevalia noted. MEMS-based solutions also eliminate the need for power-hungry oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs), further improving energy efficiency.
With AI workloads growing at a projected annual rate of 40.5%, Sevalia emphasised SiTime’s commitment to innovation. “Jitter has to be half the value every two years. Today, we are 3x better in synchronisation. In two to three years, we might need to be six, 7x better.” As the demand for faster, more efficient computing infrastructure continues to rise, SiTime aims to be the timing provider of choice across data centre applications.
To hear more about SiTime and its newest products, you can listen to Electronic Specifier’s interview on Spotify or Apple podcasts.
