Silicon Labs has expanded
its Si5332 any-frequency clock portfolio with new versions
combining the clock IC and a quartz crystal reference inside the same
package, simplifying board layout and design. The all-in-one Si5332 
solution guarantees reliable start-up and operation over the lifetime
of the product, unlike traditional solutions that source the clock IC
and crystal from different suppliers and risk interoperability issues.
Silicon Labs is also introducing multi-profile support available
across the entire Si5332 family, enabling developers to consolidate
multiple clock tree configurations into a single part number.

Traditional clock generators rely on an external, discrete quartz
crystal frequency reference. The crystal interface circuit must be
carefully designed for capacitive load matching to ensure accurate
clock synthesis. To minimize the risk of noise coupling, designers
typically do not route high-speed signals near crystals, which limits
printed circuit board (PCB) routing flexibility.

The Si5332 clock generator addresses these design limitations by
integrating a high-quality crystal reference inside the package. In
addition to simplifying design, this approach minimizes the overall
PCB footprint and maximizes PCB routing flexibility. The crystal is
shielded from external PCB noise, enabling the Si5332 integrated
crystal device to offer lower jitter (175 fs RMS 12 kHz to 20 MHz)
compared to versions of the Si5332 using an external source (190 fs
RMS).

“The Si5332 clock generator offers the industry’s highest level of
timing integration, enabling complete clock tree consolidation in
10/25/100G data center, communications, industrial and broadcast video
applications,” said James Wilson, General Manager of timing products
at Silicon Labs. “This comprehensive timing solution reduces supply
chain complexity since it’s sourced from a single supplier, Silicon
Labs.”

The Si5332 clock leverages Silicon Labs’ proven MultiSynth technology
to provide any-frequency, any-output clock syntheses with excellent
jitter performance. Supporting up to 12 clock outputs, selectable
signal formats per output clock (LVDS, LVPECL, HCSL, LVCMOS) and
independent 1.8-3.3V VDDO, the Si5332 interfaces to a broad range of
FPGAs, ASICs, Ethernet switches/PHYs, processors, SoCs, and high-speed
SerDes including PCIe. Collectively, these features enable the Si5332
to consolidate an entire clock tree in a single IC.

The new multi-profile feature takes timing integration to a new level,
enabling the consolidation of up to 16 unique clock tree
configurations in a single IC. A single Si5332 part number can now
replace crystal oscillator (XO) + buffer, clock generator, and clock
generator + buffer clock trees. Each unique configuration is
pin-selectable using hardware pins, eliminating the need for a serial
interface to reconfigure the device to support different frequencies.
Rather than sourcing different timing devices to support different
combinations of frequencies, the multi-profile feature streamlines
device qualification across different platforms and designs with a
single part number.

The Si5332 clock generators are supported by Silicon Labs’
ClockBuilder Pro (CBPro) software, which simplifies device
configuration and customization. With CBPro, customers can tailor a
clock solution to their specific requirements and receive samples in
as little as two weeks. CBPro generates a custom orderable part number
for each device with no minimum order quantity or non-recurring
engineering fees or restrictions.

Samples and production quantities of Silicon Labs’ Si5332 clock
generators are available now in a choice of 32/40/48-pin QFN packages
and 6/8/12-output options. Product pricing begins at $4.67 (USD) in
10,000-unit. Silicon Labs provides a wide range of evaluation boards
(EVBs) to accelerate device evaluation and development. Clock and
oscillator EVB pricing ranges from $149 to $199 (USD MSRP).