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5G Synchronization

Training Center Classroom

Welcome to this installment of EE Classroom on 5G Synchronization!


For 5G, timing may not be exactly everything, but it is a big thing. As build-out continues network operations must address a variety of challenges including successful spectrum management, preparation of transport and synchronization architectures, and reliance on existing and next-gen GNSS receivers – and solutions to their potential outages. High-reliability timing products become even more critical when you factor in the phase time demands of Time Division Duplex (TDD) and the need for high accuracy within a few hundred nanoseconds.


In this classroom, we present several tutorials on the test and measurement techniques associated with oscillators, and other timing products. Need a bit of a refresher or an intro to quartz crystals, oscillators, resonators, and RTCs? We’ve got that, too, as well as a check list of the critical parameters of a clock. After making your way through those tutorials, check out our sponsors various documents addressing solutions to 5G synchronization challenges.

Aimee Kalnoskas

Editor in Chief, EE World Online

5G Synchronization Classroom Sponsored by

Test & Measurement   •  PLL 

Understanding and measuring optoelectronic oscillators

What is Phase Locked Loop (PLL)?

The ups and downs of oscillators in test equipment

Basics of LC oscillators and their measurement

PLLs use a negative feedback circuit to match the phase of the frequency of another signal and synchronize the phase of the PLL’s output to the input signal’s frequency.

The amount of capacitance and inductance of capacitors and inductors determine both the resonant frequency and the sharpness of the response curve (known as Q).

Demanding applications require oscillators having high spectral purity, which can only be achieved by implementing optical components.

To support oscillations, the phase shift caused by the amplifier and feedback network must be zero. This criterion is unfulfilled at all but one frequency.

Related Resources

5G Timing Solutions

Precision Frequency Controland Timing Solutions

Complete Timing and SynchronizationSolutions for 5G

Protect Phase for 5G Mobile Networks

Clocks   •  Oscillators

What's the difference between RTC and clocks

Filters, Part 2: SAW and BAW devices for RF

What is a clock and what are its critical parameters? 

Basics of oscillators

Behind this simple-sounding, commonplace word, "clocks", there is an array of complexity and subtlety in definition, performance, and design.

 This FAQ will explore the surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters, which are widely used for Wi-0Fi, smartphones, and the newer 5G standard, to cite a few applications.

A look at the fundamental workhorse of the modern electronic world, the oscillator. Without it, radio and TV transmission and reception as we know them would not be possible. 

Regular intervals need to have a regular cadence for an MCU to be predictable, so MCUs have at least one clock to keep timing going at a regular pace.

5G   •   Timing   •   GPS

GSMA embedded SIM for IoT

How crystal oscillators and resonators work

Basics of GPS receivers

Embedded SIM is supposed to be used in IoT devices that will be using 5G networks, mainly for machine-to-machine communication

By calculating its distance from four or more satellites, a GPS receiver can find out its position in latitude and longitude anywhere on earth.

A quartz crystal oscillator is the inverse piezo electric effect or when an electric field is applied across certain materials they start producing mechanical deformation.

Microchip Technology Incorporated 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. 

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