Masterclock Awarded FAA Contract for Airport Surveillance Radar Modernisation

Here at Sarsen we work with some pretty cool technology partners. Lucky us. One of the standout manufacturers in our portfolio is Masterclock. Their precise time and frequency solutions are used in mission critical operations around the globe.

Accolades are frequent, but their latest announcement has turned heads for all the right reasons. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected the Masterclock GMR1000 to be used as the primary timing source for a modernisation upgrade to airport surveillance radar systems around the USA. The FAA needed to overcome obsolescence of legacy elements critical to system operations. This, paired with the need for commercial internet protocol (IP)-based equipment capable of providing equivalent functionality triggered the significant modernisation effort.

This award is the result of an extensive validation effort to ensure the modern timing technology from Masterclock integrates perfectly into the legacy system environment.

John Clark, President and CEO of Masterclock says, “System operators around the country are being asked to extend the lifespans of critical infrastructure beyond their original design considerations and capabilities. We’re proud to have created a cost-effective and robust platform with the GMR1000 to meet these legacy and present needs.”

The Nerdy Bit

The GMR1000 is a compact master clock that can reference a variety of timing sources and provide a range of outputs including NTP, IEEE1588 PTP, IRIG-B, SMPTE, 10Mhz, 1PPS and more. 

Each GMR1000 used by the FAA will be equipped with on-board GPS reception capabilities for long-term steering and oven-compensated quartz crystal oscillators (OCXOs) to provide accurate holdover to mitigate disruptions to GPS availability while ensuring accurate timing signals continue to be delivered via Precise Time Protocol (PTP) to downstream dependent equipment during a disrupted RF environment.

GMR1000 Datasheet

Masterclock worked closely with the FAA to identify and implement a specific set of configuration parameters for the GMR1000 to in order to fully optimise the integration of the device with the other sub-systems included in the modernisation effort. 

The successful integration, evaluation, and value proposition led to a single-source announcement for the Masterclock GMR1000 as the preferred solution for the project earlier this year.

If you's like to know more about the GMR1000 or the Masterclock product line please get in touch with us - info@sarsen.net