Time synchronization in North America

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Time synchronization in North America can be achieved with many different methods, some of which require only a telephone, while others require expensive, sensitive, and rare electronic equipment. In the United States, the United States Naval Observatory provides the Standard of Time, called UTC(USNO), for the United States military and the Global Positioning System,[1] while the National Institute of Standards and Technology provides the Standard of Time for civil purposes in the United States, called UTC(NIST).

ITU-R Standard Frequency and Time Signals

A Standard frequency and time signal service is a station that operates on or immediately adjacent to 2.5 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 15 MHz, 20 MHz, and 25 MHz, as specified by Article 5 of the ITU Radio Regulations (edition 2012)[2]

The methods below provide either Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is defined by Recommendation ITU-R TF.460,[3] or the official U.S. implementation of UTC, officially labeled UTC (NIST).

Internet time sources

Several different time synchronization protocols exist on the Internet, including:

Protocol RFCs Accuracy Ports Time servers
Daytime Protocol RFC 868 Nearest second TCP port 13
Time Protocol (a.k.a. NETDATE) RFC 868 Nearest second TCP/UPD part 37
NTP RFC 1305, RFC 5905
SNTP RFC 1769,RFC 2030
eBay time

GPS time synchronization

GPS receiver requirements

  • Minimum: GPS receiver that works with your chosen software; this requires some combination of GPGGA, GPRMC, GPZDA, GPGSA, and GPGSV sentences. This provides accuracy of between 1 and 2 seconds, and includes most, but not all modern GPS receivers.
  • Better: USB GPS receiver with the NMEA 0183 GPZDA sentence sent at least once a second. The developer of the Windows software NMEATime2 recommends GPS units with the U-blox 7 receiver,[4] and this software uses a control loop to analyze the text of the GPS timing sentence, and claims to achieve 1 ms accuracy with the technique.
  • Better yet: RS-232 GPS receiver with the NMEA 0183 GPZDA sentence sent at least once a second, plus a 1PPS signal on DCD (1 μs accuracy possible with a real RS-232 port not on the USB bus; 1 ms possible with a RS-232 to USB adapter[5]). The Garmin GPS 18x LVC[6][7][8] appears to be the only such device that is generally available to consumers, but this then needs an external 5 V DC power source.
  • Best: Higher accuracy is possible with a high-end GPS receiver designed for time signal use, but these are very expensive (around $1000), feature OCXOs (oven-controlled crystal oscillators), and often require special software and physical RS-232 ports not connected via a USB bus to achieve that accuracy.

Telephone time sources

Several different organizations provide publicly accessible recorded voice time sources, including the NIST Telephone Time of Day Service,

North American Time Synchronization Sources
Time Signal Time Provided Accuracy Source Signal Format Hardware Requirements Linux/Unix Software Windows Software
GPS UTC(USNO) 1575.42 MHz NMEA 0183 sentences, 1PPS signal. Minimum: GPS receiver that works with one's chosen software; this requires some combination of GPGGA, GPRMC, GPZDA, GPGSA, and GPGSV, sentences.

Ideal: GPS receiver (OCXO/DOCXO disciplined clock preferred) with NMEA 0183 output on RS-232 or USB, with GPZDA sentence sent at least once a second, and 1PPS signal on DCD, which includes at least these devices:

  • Gpsd plus ntpd with the GPSD NG client driver[10]
WWVB UTC(NIST) 60 kHz AM IRIG "H" PWM time code with PM BPSK signal overlaid.[16] Radio-controlled clock:
  • NIST list of receivers[17]
  • AC-100-WWVB Time Receiver
  • AC-500-MSF Time Receiver
  • ClockWatch Radio Sync[18]
  • F6CTE's CLOCK[13]
WWV 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz AM Voice with modified IRIG-Hformat time code on 100 Hz sub-carrier (CCIR code)
  • HF radio and antenna (plus software if automatic updating of computer time is desired)
  • TrueTime TL-3 WWV Receiver
  • ntpd with Radio WWV Audio Demodulator/Decoder (driver can tune ICOM HF radios via C-IV)
  • COAA's Radio Clock[19]
  • F6CTE's CLOCK[13]
WWVH 5, 10, and 15 MHz AM Voice with modified IRIG-Hformat time code on 100 Hz sub-carrier (CCIR code)
  • HF radio and antenna (plus software if automatic updating of computer time is desired)
  • TrueTime TL-3 WWV Receiver
CHU 3.33 MHz, 7.85 MHz, 14.67 MHz Bell 103 modem tones, decodable by most computer modems
  • ntpd with Radio CHU Audio Demodulator/Decoder driver (driver can tune ICOM HF radios via C-IV)
Daytime Protocol UTC (variant depends on server's time source)
  • ClockWatch Pro for Windows[20]
Time Protocol
Network Time Protocol pool.ntp.org Computer with NTP client that syncs at least once an hour.
NTPSec
Precision Time Protocol
eBay protocol San Jose, CA local time HTTP Computer with Web browser and TCP port 80 open for HTTP traffic and able to reach the eBay Time page[24]
  • ClockWatch Pro for Windows[20]
NIST Telephone Time of Day Service[25] UTC(NIST)
  • +1-303-499-7111
  • +1-808-335-4363
 Voice announcement with sync pips. Telephone connection n/a Manual sync only.
NIST Automated Computer Time Service (ACTS)[26]
  • +1-303-494-4774
  • +1-808-335-4721
 Windows computer with dialup modem.
  • ntpd with NIST/USNO/PTB Modem Time Services driver
  • ClockWatch Pro for Windows[20]
USNO Master Clock modem time[27] +1-202-762-1594 Computer with Bell 212A or CCITT V.22 compatible modem
US Naval Observatory time service UTC(USNO)
  • +1-202-762-1401
  • +1-202-762-1069 (Washington, D.C.)
  • +1-719-567-6742 (Colorado Springs)
 n/a

See also

References

  1. ^ "Department of the Navy Time Serice Department". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. ^ ITU Radio Regulations, CHAPTER II – Frequencies, ARTICLE 5 Frequency allocations, Section IV – Table of Frequency Allocations
  3. ^ "ITU-R TF.460". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ "VisualGPS NMEATime2 - More Information and Help". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ "nptd Compatible GPSes". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ a b "Garmin GPS 18x OEM". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  7. ^ a b "Time synchronization with a Garmin GPS". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  8. ^ a b "Windows Serial Port GPS/PPS reference clock for NTP". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  9. ^ "ZTI Communications Z050 GPS Dongle". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  10. ^ "GPSD NG client driver". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ "NMEATime2". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  12. ^ "GPS Time". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  13. ^ a b c "CLOCK". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ a b "Afreet Software: ToyNtp 1.2". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  15. ^ a b "BktTimeSync". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  16. ^ "WWVB Time Code Format". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  17. ^ "Manufacturers of Time and Frequency Receivers". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  18. ^ "ClockWatch Radio Sync". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  19. ^ "Radio Clock". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  20. ^ a b c "ClockWatch Pro for Windows". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  21. ^ "Meinberg NTP". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  22. ^ "NetTime client". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  23. ^ "Greyware Automation Products, Inc". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  24. ^ "eBay Time". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  25. ^ "Telephone Time-of-Day Service". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  26. ^ "Automated Computer Time Service (ACTS)". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  27. ^ "USNO Master Clock modem time". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)

External links

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