SiTime Corporation has introduced the XCalibur Active Resonator. This innovative product line uses programmable MEMS technology to address supply chain constraints and provide a direct alternative to quartz crystal resonators. In addition, XCalibur Active resonators provide improved performance and reliability, while reducing product development time for customers in automotive and industrial applications by nearly two months.


     "The SiTime portfolio includes many unique solutions that create value for our customers. We continue this tradition by developing a new MEMs-based active resonator, opening up a $200 million touchable market (SAM) in the $4 billion resonator market." Piyush Sevalia, Executive Vice President of Marketing at SiTime, said, "Our innovative XCalibur Active resonator addresses the availability of quartz crystals through programmability and the use of a semiconductor supply chain independent of the quartz crystals. In addition, quartz crystal resonators are not customer-friendly because design challenges such as requiring additional testing and development delay customer projects. SiTime addresses these challenges by providing alternatives that are more reliable, flexible, and easier to implement."


     Quartz crystal resonators have well-known shortcomings, such as vulnerability to strong electromagnetic interference (EMI), the need to perform negative resistance tests at each design and layout cycle, and the need to adjust at each frequency. With XCalibur active resonators, customers no longer experience EMI or startup problems. They no longer need to send the circuit board to a quartz crystal resonator supplier for negative resistance testing. In addition, customers can implement new frequencies in the same design without having to re-validate parts. All these benefits enable customers to bring new products to market faster.


     SiTime's new XCalibur active resonators offer up to 10 times greater reliability than quartz crystal resonators and are ideal for automotive and industrial applications that require rugged durability and long life in harsh environments. Many of the benefits of the MEMS resonator also allow applications to extend to communications and networking, consumer electronics, mobile and Internet of Things, as well as aerospace and defense applications.