Indoor Universal IGM and IGM Plus: IGM1100i

Product Information

Solving the Problem of Delivering Precise GNSS Indoors for the Network Edge

Synchronising indoor small cell operations typically require a high-accuracy timing receiver nearby and a GNSS antenna installation to support a relatively small number of small cells. Microchip’s revolutionary IEEE 1588 integrated GNSS grandmaster 1100i (IGM) solves this problem by delivering precise GNSS-based time indoors where GPS signals usually cannot be received. IGM1100i fully integrates a 1588 PTP grandmaster with a GNSS receiver and antenna in a small, fully contained package designed for easy installation on an interior wall or ceiling.

With an integrated GNSS antenna, the IGM 1100i grandmaster significantly reduces the costs of purchase, installation, and maintenance of external GNSS cable systems required for the typical GNSS timing receivers. In tall, multi-floor buildings, running a GNSS antenna cable to the roof is either very expensive or unfeasible. The IGM indoor offers a quick and simple solution to bring highly accurate PTP grandmaster timing closer to mobile edge, and is ideal for LTE-A, 5G, and DOCSIS3.1 deployment.

The same software is used across the IGM grandmaster portfolio enabling mobile operators to facilitate densification with enhanced management options, more reliability through GNSS backup, greater scalability with IPv6, and increased client support.

Stable Frequency Reference for Premier League Football Stadium

How do you ensure radio heads in a small cell-based system at a Premier League football stadium have a stable frequency reference without being able to install an external GPS antenna? This was the issue confronting one of our carrier customers using the CommScope OneCell system. The solution was the Indoor IGM device. In a small equipment room with no windows in the bowels of the stadium, a ceiling mounted IGM locked to 12 GNSS satellites and operated as a PRTC delivering PTP to 100ns of UTC! The simple one port device used Power over Ethernet from the CommScope baseband unit; no intrusion, no climbing, no hole drilling.

Demonstrating 5G Capability in the Middle of a Shopping Centre

How do you demonstrate the 5G capability of a new smartphone in the middle of a shopping centre? Install a dedicated gNodeB, right? Well, yes, but where do you get the timing performance for the 5G TDD spectrum? No roof access; no external walls or windows. Simple. Deploy the Indoor IGM in the false ceiling and the gNodeB locks to the PRTC PTP flow and you have a successful demo. The simple one port device used Power over Ethernet and connects to the gNodeB via a Cat 6 cable; no intrusion, no climbing, no hole drilling. Don’t guarantee the phone will lock to 5G outside just yet though!

New Hardware Model: IGM Plus for Release 3.0

The latest release 3.0 features a new hardware model with an upgraded GNSS receiver adding Galileo and QZSS, and an upgraded mini OCXO oscillator for enhanced time keeping and holdover performance.

New Software Capabilities for Release 3.0

• Support for IPv6 OAM/Management, in addition to IPv6 support for PTP traffic
• Automated configuration of a large number of devices with Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) through DHCP (option 43)
• Enhanced support for individual device configuration with full CLI

Why choose Microchip IGM1100i?

Key Benefits

• Reduced installation costs and simplified cabling
• Enhanced indoor GNSS performance, capable of receiving GNSS signals when deployed indoors and/or in deep urban canyons
• Plug-and-play features to reduce deployment cost and time
• Deployment flexibility (small size, wall or ceiling mount)
• Best-in-class synchronization for indoor small cell deployments
• Reliability

The Chronos difference

The innovative IGM grandmaster portfolio enables the most cost-effective indoor or outdoor deployments at the mobile network edge. Contact our team to find the right solution for your needs.