The AD9551 clock generator from Analog Devices simplifies clock design and reduces the need for oscillators in multistandard networking and infrastructure systems, according to the company. Its new, simplified architecture can generate and translate multiple precision network clock frequencies. This enables the replacement of as many as five oscillators, which support functions that are essential in network switches, routers, and line cards like forward error correction (FEC), holdover, switchover, and precise frequency generation.
In addition to saving board space, the AD9551 provides more accurate and reliable performance than discrete oscillators, while reducing system development time and complexity by making it easier for networks relying on incompatible standards to share and transfer data, Analog Devices says. It accepts one or two reference input signals and generates one or two output signals that are harmonically related by a programmable factor of 1 to 63.
Precisely translating the reference frequency to the desired output frequency, the AD9551 includes input receivers and output drivers that are capable of either single-ended or differential operation. On-chip reference monitoring and switchover circuitry internally synchronize the two references to prevent phase perturbations at the output in the event of a reference failure. Should either or both references fail, the AD9551 maintains a steady output signal with no phase disturbance on the output.
The device relies on an external 26-MHz crystal (nominal) and the internal digitally compensated crystal oscillator (DCXO) of the first of two cascaded fractional-N phase-locked loops (PLLs) to provide a clean reference for the second PLL and to hold the output frequency in case of reference failure. The second fractional-N PLL enables fine precision output frequency tuning with low phase noise.
Furthermore, the AD9551 provides a serial-peripheral interface (SPI) port and pin-selectable pre-set divider values that offer an assortment of frequency ratios, including all the standard rates for Gigabit Ethernet (644.53125 MHz), 10 Gigabit Ethernet (625 MHz), Sonet/SDH (622.08 MHz), and Fibre Channel (657.421875 MHz), as well as the established FEC ratios (15/14, 239/237, 239/238, 255/237, 255/238).
In addition to network clocks, including the AD9520, AD9522, ADCLK905, ADCLK907, and ADCLK925 Ultrafast SiGe ECL Clock/Data Buffers and the Ultrafast, SiGe, Open-Collector HVDS Clock/Data Buffer, Analog Devices makes a wide range of components addressing all aspects of networking and communications system design, from power management to analog and mixed-signal solutions.
Operating from –40°C to 85°C, the AD9551 comes in a 40-lead lead-free chip-scale package (LFCSP). Samples are available now, with production in May. The AD9551 costs $14.75 each in lots of 1000.
Analog Devices
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