What is the Expected Lifespan of the Built-in Chip-Scale Atomic Clock?
The effective lifespan of the cesium-based chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) used in VeEX portable test sets is estimated to be around 5 years, since they are subject to environment, shock, vibration, temperature changes, and are power cycled often.
For field applications, the effective lifespan of the cesium-based chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC) is estimated to be around 5 years, before noticing any decline in performance. That should be the case for VeEX portable test and measurement equipment, since they are subject to different levels of environmental stress, such as shock, vibration, temperature changes, long storage, and are power cycled often.
This shall not be confused with the mean time between failure (MTBF) figure published by the component manufacturer, which is >100,000 hours (>10 years) for the cesium-based chip-scale atomic clock option used in VeEX products. However, there are aging factors that depend on external factors and can limit its effective lifespan, depending on proper use and care.
In general, traditional cesium-based atomic clocks are typically characterized by a service life of approximately 10 years. However, this historical estimate is based on continuous, always-on operation under controlled environmental conditions.