Zaher Baidas
Vice President and General Manager of the Renesas Timing Product Division
Clocks lay the foundation for the operation of every electronic device. Clock-synchronized data signals are often referred to as the metronome of the chip industry, ensuring system reliability. However, today’s timing products are no longer just about maintaining the rhythm of a single device; they must coordinate the operation of the entire system across multiple data interconnect paths.
As a leading supplier of clock and timing IC solutions, Renesas has long been at the forefront of this critical yet underappreciated technology, which provides digital pulse signals for nearly all electronic systems.
We interviewed Zaher Baidas, Vice President and General Manager of the Renesas Timing Product Division to understand how he and his team are helping customers manage rapidly growing data in the era of generative AI, ultra-high-speed networks, and smart vehicles.
Renesas: Since you started working in this field, how do you think data processing has changed clock and timing technology?
Zaher: The increase in data speed and efficiency is an endless process. Risking revealing my age, I remember being genuinely excited when the dial-up modem speed upgraded to 56Kbps during my college years. Just last weekend, after some effort, I upgraded my home Wi-Fi to over 500Mb because I felt it was too slow.
In addition to speed, there has been a comprehensive improvement in integration capabilities. Once, network and computing clocks were separate. Now, AI integrates multiple ultra-high-bandwidth interconnect ASICs on the same acceleration card, achieving full integration on the same substrate.
Renesas: How is the clock and timing industry different for Renesas today?
Zaher: When I first started working in the timing field, the market was quite segmented, with many vendors. It seemed that every manufacturer had a clock business unit, but none could comprehensively cover various types of product offerings. To complete a design, you needed to buy a timing card synchronizer from vendor A, a line card jitter attenuator from vendor B, and a clock buffer from a third vendor.
Today, Renesas has transformed this situation by developing a rich product portfolio and utilizing end-to-end clock timing solutions. Customers do not want to build a clock tree using products from three different suppliers; they want us to predict and take on potential risks. For example, when they need a PCIe Gen7 clock generator, we do not just respond with, “Okay, we will develop it.” Instead, we send them samples in the same week they make the request. This is thanks to our early investment in clock IP development two to three years in advance. As a result, we successfully launched the PCIe Gen7 product last year, a year ahead of the final 1.0 version.
Now, Renesas can provide a complete clock tree for every customer, and we always kindly remind them that we are the only one-stop timing product supplier in the industry. Whatever you need, we have it.
Renesas: Advanced communication systems and generative AI (genAI) data centers generate vast amounts of data. How does Renesas help customers maintain smooth data transmission?
Zaher: For Renesas, as data transmission speeds continue to increase, our customers need clearer, lower-noise signals, which in the clock domain is referred to as jitter. For over 30 years, Renesas has been at the forefront of clock technology, actively responding to the accelerated development of data centers and high-speed communication systems. Our ability to predict trends has established our advanced level, ensuring that Renesas remains at the forefront of the industry through active collaboration with standard organizations and deep engagement with system architects and ecosystem partners.
Renesas: Are there similarities between data-intensive wired applications like data centers and wireless systems like 5G cellular?
Zaher: Both require better clocks, specifically stricter timing and jitter deviations for reference clocks. For example, compared to 4G/LTE networks, 5G has increased complexity. The RF transmission frequency band is higher, requiring significant improvements in jitter performance and in-band phase noise across multiple frequencies.
Renesas: In addition to clock oscillators, generators, and buffers, Renesas’ clock and timing product portfolio mainly consists of three series: VersaClock®, FemtoClock™, and ClockMatrix™. How do they complement each other?
Zaher: These names were intentionally chosen. VersaClock is a multifunctional clock family, akin to a Swiss Army knife, which is a standard plug-and-play programmable timing device with a small footprint. FemtoClock is a performance-driven series with excellent phase noise, achieving jitter characteristics at the femtosecond level.
The third series is the one I am most focused on, as it was the product I worked on when I first became the design lead at Renesas. The ClockMatrix series is a clock system on chip (SoC) that integrates network synchronization matrices, frequency measurement, jitter attenuation, and clock generation functions. This series is designed for wired networks that require compliance with various communication standards such as IEEE 1588 for synchronizing network system clocks.
Renesas: Renesas is known for its extensive design support. What support can tools like the Renesas Integrated Circuit Toolbox and Cloud Lab provide to customers?
Zaher: Renesas’ philosophy is that having good products is not enough; strong customer support is also crucial. We believe Renesas is fully capable of providing this. The Renesas Integrated Circuit Toolbox, or RICBox, is an easy-to-use GUI for configuring all our timing devices. The Cloud Lab allows customers to test clock configurations online during the later stages of the design process. If there are any issues, customers can contact our application support team and FAE.
As a truly global industry, these cloud-based automated design tools have become an essential part of Renesas’ development strategy.
Renesas: Can you provide examples of how Renesas has successfully embedded clock and timing devices into product portfolios?
Zaher: Our timing devices enhance Renesas’ core businesses in MPU, MCU, and automotive sectors. One example of a winning combo integrates the Renesas RZ MPU with a clock matrix synchronizer and IEEE 1588 software. Additionally, our VersaClock solutions are integrated with Renesas R-Car SoCs to support automotive cockpit and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) applications.
The uniqueness of successful product combinations lies not only in the proven system solutions but also in our ability to collaborate with relevant business units early in the product development process. Sometimes, we can even collaborate before the silicon is finalized, achieving iterative cooperation to launch better timing solutions.
Renesas: How do you envision the development of the clock and timing field in the coming years? How is Renesas preparing for the future?
Zaher: The pursuit of speed will never stop—whether for large data centers, next-generation communication networks, or driving smart vehicles. Moreover, as AI, automotive ECUs, and many other applications become increasingly complex, size constraints are also becoming more pressing, driving the demand for smaller, low-power, high-output devices.
Overall, the demand in this industry is rich and diverse, but if we wait for the next generation of products to emerge, we will miss opportunities. Therefore, we are always committed to research and innovation to meet the potential needs of our customers in the next three years. This has been our consistent practice and will be our plan moving forward.
For information on related products and technologies, please scan the QR code below or copy the link into your browser:
Renesas Timing Product Division
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/products/clocks-timing
VersaClock
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/products/clocks-timing/versaclock-programmable-clocks
FemtoClock
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/products/clocks-timing/femtoclock-low-phase-noise-frequency-synthesizers
ClockMatrix
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/products/clocks-timing/clockmatrix-timing-solutions
Renesas Integrated Circuit Toolbox
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/software-tool/renesas-ic-toolbox-ricbox
Cloud Lab
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/labonthecloud
Successful Product Combinations
https://www.renesas.cn/zh/applications
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https://community-ja.renesas.com/zh/forums-groups/
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Renesas Electronics (TSE: 6723)
Technology makes life easier, dedicated to creating a safer, smarter, and sustainable future. As a global microcontroller supplier, Renesas Electronics integrates expertise in embedded processing, analog, power, and connectivity to provide complete semiconductor solutions. Successful product combinations accelerate the market launch of automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT applications, empowering billions of connected smart devices to improve people’s work and lifestyles. For more information, please visit renesas.com
