Symmetricom
Announces New GPS Timing Instrument for Power and Utility
Industry
(25 January2005) Symmetricom, a
leading world-wide supplier of network synchronisation and timing solutions and
atomic clocks, has introduced the XL-750 GPS Time Source, a highly accurate,
versatile GPS timing instrument for power industry substation and utility
companies.
Power companies and utilities have
fundamental requirements for time and frequency to support their core functions
of electricity generation, transmission and distribution. The blackout of
August 2003 demonstrated the need for improved time synchronisation throughout
the power grid. Analysis of the blackout generated strong recommendations by
the North American Reliability Council (NERC) to place GPS based time
synchronisation devices in power plants and substations and to upgrade existing
recorders to include GPS time synchronisation. NERC's analysis of the blackout
increased the awareness for GPS time synchronisation in the power sector.
"The unique low-cost, high performance XL-750 clearly identifies
Symmetricom as the premier vendor for time and frequency solutions in the
power/utilities market," commented Ron Holm, product marketing manager for
Symmetricom. "When selecting a GPS timing solution, customers will see the
enormous value in the XL-750's suite of features and functions that support
many power industry applications."
The XL-750 GPS Time Source
synchronises SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems) RTU's
(Remote Terminal Units), protection relays and power/tariff meters and related
equipment in harsh substation environments. The XL-750 provides accurate, GPS
referenced timing signals that feature high electrical isolation to insure
reliable operation.
"Precise time and frequency synchronisation is
critical to the operation and maintenance of electric power systems including
generation, transmission and distribution," commented Ken Martin, principal
engineer at The Bonneville Power Administration. "It is essential to service
restoration as well as system analysis following any significant system
disturbance including the blackouts of August 1996 and August 2003. Bonneville
Power has used equipment from several different Symmetricom product lines for a
number of years and has been very satisfied with their performance."
Availability
The XL-750 GPS Time Source will be available in March
2005.
About Symmetricom's Timing, Test and Measurement Division
Symmetricom's Timing, Test and Measurement Division designs and
manufactures products for industries as diverse as aerospace, defence,
government, utilities, research centres, telecom, metrology and enterprise
networking. Specialised products include hydrogen, caesium and rubidium
standards; quartz oscillators; time and frequency generators, receivers, and
other GPS related instrumentation; bus level time and frequency processor
modules; and network time servers. Symmetricom's Timing, Test and Measurement
Division was created as a result of the company's merger with Datum and
TrueTime in 2002. The division is based in Santa Rosa, California with design
and manufacturing facilities in Beverly, MA and Tuscaloosa, AL.
About
Symmetricom, Inc.
Symmetricom is the leading world-wide supplier of
network synchronisation and timing solutions and atomic clocks. The company
designs, manufactures, markets and provides services for products used in
wireline and wireless network synchronisation; space, defence and avionics
systems; enterprise networks; as well as G.shdsl-based broadband networks in
telecom, government and enterprise markets. Symmetricom is based in San Jose,
Calif., with offices world-wide.
(source: Symmetricom)
