A farm drone sprays medicine on farmland

Why SiTime for PNT?

PNT performance breaks first at the edges of the operating envelope, not in nominal lab conditions. When GNSS degrades or disappears, your system depends on local timing to hold frequency and phase through vibration, maneuvering, thermal transitions, and shock, while still meeting SWaP limits.

SiTime builds timing for these environments using silicon MEMS devices manufactured in standard semiconductor foundries. The result is timing performance that remains stable under vibration, temperature extremes, and platform stress, with reliability and long-term availability suited to industrial and defense programs.

Quick Links
Executive Brief: Borrowed Time: Why Precision Timing Became the Most Critical Element of PNT
Blog: Precision Timing for UAS Defense
Blog: Timing Technologies for Missile Defense
Blog: What Is G-sensitivity?
Blog: Case Study: Significance of Precision Timing in PNT GPS/GNSS Navigation
Blog: Why Precision Timing Holds the High Ground Over Quartz

Four performance and program constraints determine PNT resilience in harsh operating environments

Holdover Performance

When GNSS signals are lost, jammed, or spoofed, precise timing must be maintained autonomously. SiTime MEMS oscillators deliver industry-leading holdover performance, sustaining timing accuracy for extended periods without an external reference. With ultra-low frequency drift and superior aging characteristics, SiTime MEMS-based timing solutions ensure mission-critical systems remain synchronized and operational even in GPS-denied or contested environments.

Superior Vibration Resilience

MEMS-based oscillators exhibit g-sensitivity as low as 0.004 ppb/g, typically 3 to10 times lower than quartz oscillators. A SiTime MEMS oscillator maintains stable frequency output under vibration that causes significant frequency deviation in
quartz.

Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP)

Modern wearable electronics as unmanned systems, wearable soldier and personnel electronics, small satellites, precision agriculture, and precision-guided munitions operate under extreme SWaP constraints. SiTime MEMS oscillators deliver precision timing performance in packages that are smaller and more power-efficient compared to equivalent quartz solutions.

Thermal Stability and Compensation

SiTime MEMS oscillators incorporate temperature sensing and compensation architectures that maintain frequency stability across the full –55°C to 125°C temperature range. MEMS timing performance doesn't depend on the physical properties of a mechanically cut crystal.

Superior Reliability

SiTime MEMS timing products are manufactured using standard semiconductor fabrication processes in established foundries. SiTime MEMS oscillators offer a mean time before failure (MTFB) of more than 2 billion hours compared to quartz 30 million hours. A program fielding 10,000 units per year expects approximately 3 quartz oscillator failures annually compared to 0.04 failures with SiTime MEMS.

Operational Safety

Timing failures in defense and safety-critical applications can have catastrophic consequences. SiTime MEMS oscillators are designed and qualified to the highest reliability standards, with resistance to shock, vibration, and rapid temperature changes that can compromise quartz-based timing. Built on proven semiconductor processes with rigorous screening and qualification, SiTime timing solutions reduce risk across the full system lifecycle — from development through fielding — ensuring safe, predictable performance in the most demanding operational environments.

Choose the Right Timing Technology

Application Characteristic Quartz SiTime MEMS
Benign thermal and vibration environment Capable Capable
High vibration applications Limited Recommended
GNSS denied holdover requirement Application Dependent Recommended
SWaP constrains Limited Recommended
Long duration availability requirements Supply Chain Risk Recommended
Precision guided munitions Limited Recommended
High vibration applications Limited Recommended

 

Customer Stories

Eliminated Recalibration Over Product Life

Ultra-low oscillator aging and digital control eliminate recalibration over the
product life, saving programs millions in maintenance and operational costs.
Technician examining a semiconductor chip on a PCB using a microscope.

Enabled a New Application with Shock Survival Above 100,000 g

The oscillator survived shock levels above 100,000 g, enabling systems designed to counter small, inexpensive drones without relying on large, high-cost missile interceptors.
Transparent fighter jet cockpit revealing internal circuitry and wires.

Hours of Holdover in Low SWaP Platforms

Mounted and dismounted platforms achieved 24 hours of holdover with less than 1.5 μs of time error, allowing continued operation when GNSS is degraded or denied.
A satellite is orbiting Earth, equipped with solar panels and observation instruments, capturing breathtaking nighttime views of the planet's illuminated surface and the vastness of space

Industrial Use-Cases that Depend Critically on PNT

Unmanned and Autonomous Systems

Warehouses, mines, construction sites, and agricultural fields degrade GNSS through obstruction, multipath, and interference. Local timing resilience determines how long autonomous platforms maintain navigation accuracy after GNSS loss.
Drone flying above the clouds

Industrial Wearables and Personnel Tracking

First responders operating inside structures face GNSS denial conditions similar to dismounted systems. Mining and tunneling tracking systems require local timing resilience in fully GNSS denied underground environments, with tight SWaP constraints.
Smartwatch with message icons and a world map

Small Satellites and Commercial Space

Small satellites operate under tight SWaP limits with strict timing requirements. Timing supports orbit determination, inter-satellite link synchronization, and payload operation across commercial constellations and technology missions.
Spacecraft orbiting Earth in space.

Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture relies on GNSS correction processing for sub-centimeter positioning accuracy. When GNSS is degraded by terrain, vegetation, or atmospheric conditions, holdover quality determines how long equipment maintains positioning performance.
Precision agriculture with sensors embedded in the soil for optimal irrigation. Green plant sprouting from soil with real-time holographic growth monitoring interface

Energy Infrastructure and Smart Grid

Grid synchronization depends on precision timing to maintain phase alignment across distributed energy assets and substations. IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol systems need timing holdover when GNSS references are unavailable.
Wind turbine farm on a desert land

Maritime and Offshore

Commercial maritime navigation and offshore positioning face GNSS jamming and spoofing threats across multiple regions. Dynamic positioning systems require continuous timing accuracy through GNSS outages to maintain safe station keeping.
An offshore oil rig worker in safety gear uses a tablet to check systems and processes, against the backdrop of the vast ocean and rig infrastructure.

Rail and Transportation Infrastructure

Positive train control and autonomous rail operations depend on precision timing for safe separation. In tunnels and dense urban corridors where GNSS is denied, holdover quality determines safe operating intervals.
High-Speed Modern Bullet Train Moving Through Urban Tunnel with Motion Blur and City Lights Reflection

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