Microchip Introduces SkyWire™ Technology for Precise Time Alignment in Infrastructure

SkyWire™ technology enables scalable time traceability to metrology labs to protect critical infrastructure systems.

Microchip Technology introduced its new SkyWire™ technology, embedded in the BlueSky™ Firewall 2200, aimed at enhancing time accuracy for critical infrastructure operations. The technology enables the measurement and verification of clocks against Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), vital for sectors such as data centers, power utilities, and financial institutions, ensuring synchronized operation across varied locations.

With this technology, geographically separated timing systems can align within nanoseconds, facilitating clock comparison with metrology labs. This level of precision has typically been limited to scientific institutions, marking an advancement for the timing networks in sectors such as transportation and public utilities.

Randy Brudzinski, corporate vice president at Microchip, pointed out the value of independent measurement relative to UTC, emphasizing that SkyWire makes UTC accessible for large clock deployments. The technology is an extension of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Time Measurement and Analysis Service (TMAS), allowing critical infrastructure operators to efficiently maintain accurate time standards.

Andrew Novick, an engineer at NIST, stated that their collaboration with commercial hardware supports scalable, accurate timing solutions. The SkyWire technology, integrated with TimePictra® software, allows global entities to establish their own traceable timing systems.

Microchip’s comprehensive timing portfolio has over 75 years of expertise, offering products that range from individual timing server cards to extensive national time scale systems.