Today, precision timing is more critical than ever. It underpins countless systems and devices, from smartphones and navigation systems to 5G networks and AI-powered data centers. Historically, quartz crystal resonators maintained this essential heartbeat in electronics, but a transformative shift is underway—toward silicon-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) timing technology.

As optical fiber technology continues to push the limits of data transport speed and efficiency, the challenge falls on silicon SerDes vendors to keep up. One major obstacle? Managing tighter jitter budgets as data rates increase. This article explores why legacy phase jitter analysis falls short and a better way to specify Refclk jitter in SerDes datasets.

This article explores key trends in factory automation and robotics, focusing on precision timing solutions to transform manufacturing across industries.