Calnex Sentinel Portable Synchronization Tester with Rubidium Clock and GNSS
Portable synchronization tester for PTP, NTP, SyncE, TDM and 4G/5G OTA with built-in Rubidium clock and GNSS receiver.
- User-defined clock types
- From 0.5 Hz to 200 MHz in 0.5 Hz steps
- Measurement ports
- 2 per module, BNC
- Impedance
- 75 Ω, VSWR <2:1 or 1 MΩ
- 1 pps TE measurement accuracy
- ±75 ns
Overview
The Calnex Sentinel is a dedicated, portable synchronization tester for verifying phase, time and frequency synchronization on mobile, data center, financial, power and other telecom networks. It supports Ethernet interfaces from 100M to 100G, clock and 1 pps inputs, and over-the-air measurement of 4G and 5G signals.
The Sentinel can operate as a pseudo T-TSC to measure upstream network synchronization or as a monitor measuring live network PDV and Time Error. All measurements are captured simultaneously, allowing correlation of timing performance at different points in the network.
A built-in Rubidium clock disciplined by GNSS provides holdover, so measurements can be made where no GNSS or 1 pps reference is available. An optional battery allows operation and Rb holdover during transport, and captured PDV data can be replayed on the Calnex Paragon-X.
Key Features
- Calnex Analysis Tool (CAT) for evaluating Time Error, MTIE and TDEV against ITU-T masks
- PTP Field Verifier (PFV) analysis of PTP protocol conformance to standards-based or user-defined profiles
- Verifies phase, time and frequency synchronization
- Over-the-air Time Error measurement for 4G LTE-A and 5G NR
- Built-in high-stability Rubidium clock with GNSS disciplining
- Ethernet measurement ports from 100M to 100G
- Pseudo-subordinate clock mode or monitor mode
- Captured PDVs can be replayed on Calnex Paragon-X
- Optional battery-powered operation
Specifications
| User-defined clock types |
From 0.5 Hz to 200 MHz in 0.5 Hz steps
Symmetrical, unipolar clock signals
|
|---|---|
| Measurement ports | 2 per module, BNC |
| Impedance | 75 Ω, VSWR <2:1 or 1 MΩ |
| 1 pps TE measurement accuracy |
±75 ns
Constant TE measurement accuracy with reference to GNSS
|
| Relative Time Error |
±5 ns
Accuracy of phase difference between any two clock inputs
|
| Packet measurement ports | Maximum of 2 |
|---|---|
| Connectors |
RJ45 for 100/1000 Base-T, SFP/SFP+ for 100M/1G/10G Optical, QSFP28 for 100G Optical, SFP28 for 25G Optical
QSFP28 to SFP28 adapter supplied; optical transceivers not supplied
|
| PTP/NTP TE measurement accuracy |
±75 ns
Constant TE measurement accuracy with reference to GNSS
|
| Timestamp resolution | 1 ns resolution timestamp |
| Measurement accuracy | ±100 ns |
|---|---|
| Maximum input power | –20 dBm |
| Operating frequencies | Up to 6 GHz |
| NR and LTE bands | TDD and FDD |
| Reference clock | Built-in Rubidium reference or external reference input 1 MHz, 5 MHz or 10 MHz |
|---|---|
| Internal data storage | Up to 32G |
| Display | Color TFT, 8.4”, 800 x 600 pixels, resistive touchscreen |
| Rb output frequency accuracy |
1 x 10-9
7 mins to warmup
|
| Rb ageing (1 year) | <5 x 10-10 |
| Built-in GNSS module | 12 channels, TRAIM GNSS receiver, high sensitivity. GPS, GLONAS, Beidou, Galileo |
| GNSS time accuracy | ±15 ns at 1σ after 24 hours lock |
| Operating temperature |
0°C to 40°C
30°C when charging Rb backup-battery
|
|---|---|
| Power supply | 100 to 240 Vrms ±10%, 50 Hz to 60 Hz, <100 W |
| Dimensions (w x h x d) | 320 x 388 x 126 mm (12.6” x 15.3” x 5”) |
|---|---|
| Weight |
Net <7 kg (15 lb); Shipping with transport case <16 kg (35 lb)
Approximations based on varying configurations
|
Specifications are taken from the manufacturer's documentation. See the datasheet for complete and current values.
Applications
- 4G and 5G mobile network synchronization testing
- Small cell and eNodeB/gNodeB phase alignment verification
- Data center PTP and NTP synchronization testing
- Financial and power network timing
- Long-duration unattended synchronization measurements
Included
- Calnex Analysis Tool (CAT)
- GNSS antenna
- Antenna cable (20 m)
- Hard transport case
- User manual on USB
- Line power cord
- 1-year warranty and support
Options & Accessories
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Option 610 | Clock module 1 pps/E1/T1 — Any clock from 0.5 Hz up to 200 MHz with 0.5 Hz step (maximum two per instrument) |
| Option 615 | 100M/1G packet port (PTP/NTP/SyncE) — Includes SyncE/ESMC analysis for 100M/1G optical and electrical rates |
| Option 616 | 100M/1G/10G packet port (PTP/NTP/SyncE) — Includes SyncE/ESMC analysis for 100M/1G/10G optical and electrical rates |
| Option 618 | 100G interface |
| Option 622 | 25G interface |
| Option 705 | Over-the-Air (OTA) Time Error measurement module — Maximum one per instrument |
| Option 620 | PTP and NTP PDV measurement software — One license per instrument |
| Option 623 | Return to factory upgrade for 25G and/or 100G interfaces — For Sentinel with serial no. beginning 400; Options 618 and/or 622 must be ordered at the same time |
| Option 631 | Battery Powered Operation — Transport mode, uninterruptible power supply and measurements under battery power |
| Option 812 | One year extension of product warranty |
| Option 813 | Two years extension of product warranty |
| Option 75 | 120 Ω balanced RJ45 to 75 Ω unbalanced BNC impedance converter (balun) |
| Option 133 | External 1 pps/ToD/Frequency Converter accessory |
| Option 511 | Carry-on bag |