Clock generators detect potential faults, sport built-in redundancy

Silicon Labs introduced new SmartClock features to its family of AEC-Q100 qualified Si5332-AM clock generators, expanding the capabilities of the industry’s broadest portfolio of silicon-based automotive timing solutions. The new SmartClock technology actively monitors reference clocks to detect potential faults and provides built-in clock redundancy.

If a fault condition is detected, SmartClock shares this information with an external system microcontroller or system safety manager, which can, in turn, instruct the Si5332-AM to switch to a redundant backup source, ensuring the system continues to operate safely. In applications where health monitoring of only a single frequency is needed, the new Si5118-AM SmartClock synthesizer can be implemented between the reference clock source and endpoint. These innovative new features help to address the increasingly complex timing challenges being faced in automotive networking, advanced driver assistance systems, automated driving, and IVI/digital cockpit electronic designs.

SmartClock health monitoring, fault detection, and local backup reference are new, customizable features in the Si5332-AM clock generator family. These features can be enabled using Silicon Labs ClockBuilder Pro configuration software.