Time synchronization in North America

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 US service is provided by radio stations WWV (Colorado) and WWVH (Hawaii).

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
ICMP TIMESTAMP RFC 0792, page 16
IP TIMESTAMP option RFC 0791, 3.1, page 16

GPS time synchronization

GPS receiver requirements

  • Minimum: GPS receiver that works with user 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.

Utility frequency

In 2009 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission made time error correction (TEC) of the power grid frequency mandatory.[9] While TEC does not provide full synchronization (date and time) and synchronization is lost in case of a power outage it provides an inexpensive way to maintain high long term accuracy of synchronous clocks found in most household appliances. Once the initial time is set the power grid will typically maintain the accuracy within 10 seconds relative to UTC by adjusting frequency.[10]

All time sources

Several different organizations provide publicly accessible recorded voice time sources, including the NIST Telephone Time of Day Service, see speaking clock. Other sources include GPS, terrestrial radio time signals, and internet services, as listed below.

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[12]
WWVB UTC(NIST) 60 kHz AM IRIG "H" PWM time code with PM BPSK signal overlaid.[18] Radio-controlled clock:
  • NIST list of receivers[19]
  • AC-100-WWVB Time Receiver
  • AC-500-MSF Time Receiver
  • ClockWatch Radio Sync[20]
  • F6CTE's CLOCK[15]
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[21]
  • F6CTE's CLOCK[15]
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[22]
Time Protocol
Network Time Protocol pool.ntp.org Computer with NTP client that syncs at least once an hour. ntpd, sntp, ntpdate
NTPSec
Precision Time Protocol
NIST Telephone Time of Day Service[26] UTC(NIST)
  • +1-303-499-7111
  • +1-808-335-4363
 Voice announcement with sync pips. Telephone connection, ear n/a Manual sync only.
NIST Automated Computer Time Service (ACTS)[27]
  • +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[22]
USNO Master Clock modem time[28] +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)
 ear n/a

See also

References
  1. "US Naval Observatory Precise Time Department". Archived from the original on 2019-08-26. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  2. ITU Radio Regulations, CHAPTER II – Frequencies, ARTICLE 5 Frequency allocations, Section IV – Table of Frequency Allocations
  3. "TF.460 : Standard-frequency and time-signal emissions". www.itu.int. Archived from the original on 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  4. "NMEATime2". www.visualgps.net. Archived from the original on 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  5. "Compatible GPSes". gpsd.gitlab.io. Archived from the original on 2021-10-23. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  6. "Garmin GPS 18x OEM™ | Sensor". Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  7. Bies © 1997-2021, Lammert. "GPS time synchronization tutorial". Archived from the original on 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  8. "An NTP Stratum-1 clock usng a GPS 18 LVC and Windows 2000/XP/Windows-7". www.satsignal.eu. Archived from the original on 2018-01-07. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  9. "Western Electricity Coordinating Council Regional Reliability Standard Regarding Automatic Time Error Correction" (PDF). Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. May 21, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  10. "Manual Time Error Correction" (PDF). naesb.org. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  11. "z050 USB GPS Dongle". ZTI Communications. Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  12. "GPSD NG client driver". Archived from the original on 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  13. "NMEATime2". Archived from the original on 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  14. "GPSTime". www.coaa.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  15. "CLOCK". f6cte.free.fr. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  16. "DX Atlas: Amateur Radio software". www.dxatlas.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  17. Mauro, IZ2BKT-Capelli. "BktTimeSync - BktSoftware". www.maniaradio.it. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  18. "WWVB Time Code Format". Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  19. "Manufacturers of Time and Frequency Receivers". 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  20. "Radio Sync - WWVB Receiver and Software for Windows". www.beaglesoft.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-31. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  21. "Radio Clock". www.coaa.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  22. "Comparison of ClockCard Editions". www.beaglesoft.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  23. "Meinberg NTP Software Downloads". www.meinbergglobal.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  24. "NetTime - Network Time Synchronization Tool". www.timesynctool.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  25. "Domain Time II". www.greyware.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  26. "Telephone Time-of-Day Service". 24 September 2009. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  27. "Automated Computer Time Service (ACTS)". 23 September 2009. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  28. "USNO Master Clock modem time". Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
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