Real-time clock delivers high security

Integrated Device Technology, a provider of mixed-signal semiconductors, has produced a real-time clock suited to providing high accuracy over the full industrial temperature range.

These timing devices also feature tamper-detect functionality to help protect systems that are prone to hacking.

The IDT 5T90008 features temperature-compensation to improve system accuracy over a wide temperature range in applications such as energy meters and telecommunications systems.

It also takes a temperature measurement every 64 seconds and adjusts the loading of the internal crystal as needed, providing an accuracy of +/- 5ppm from -40 to 85C.

Applications such as utility metering, HVAC, point-of-sale terminals, security alarms, vending machines and security-related equipment are prone to hacking by extraction of information or modification of the internal settings.

Another product from the range, IDT 5T90012, provides tamper-detect functionality without the temperature compensation feature found in the IDT 5T90008.

Four tamper-detect pins within the IDT 5T90008 and 5T90012 detect such incidents and store the time and length of the event.

Both real-time clocks feature 128b of battery-backed RAM to store critical system data in the event that main power is lost.

These timing devices also feature a back-up battery pin, which has power-sense circuitry to detect a loss of primary power and automatically switch to the back-up supply.

This helps maintain time and date operation in the event of a power loss.

Other product features include high noise immunity, low current consumption, 12/24r mode of operation, auto correction for leap-years and programmable square wave output, making them suitable for a wide range of design applications.

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