GPS time servers operate by receiving various external time reference signals-such as GPS, BeiDou, CDMA, IRIG-B codes, OCXO, and rubidium atomic clocks-and utilizing internal high-precision clock sources (like OCXO) for timekeeping and signal disciplining. Adhering to standard protocols such as NTP/SNTP and IRIG-B, they provide time synchronization services to automation equipment (e.g., computers and control devices) via network or physical interfaces.
They support multiple time sources-including GPS, BeiDou, CDMA, IRIG-B codes, OCXO, and rubidium atomic clocks-and feature embedded NTP/SNTP protocols for network-based time distribution.
Output interfaces include multiple channels for NTP/SNTP network signals, PTP (IEEE 1588) protocol signals, pulse signals (1PPS/M/H), IRIG-B signals (TTL/422/AC/optical), DCF77 signals, time message strings (RS-232/422/485), and 10 MHz frequency signals, enabling time synchronization for diverse types of equipment.
These devices typically employ a modular architecture that supports hot-swappable cards, offering flexible configuration. Time reference configurations support various redundancy combinations-such as single GPS, single BeiDou, single CDMA, dual GPS, dual BeiDou, or dual-system modes (GPS/BeiDou/CDMA)-and include mechanisms to evaluate and select reference signals, thereby enhancing the continuity and reliability of time synchronization.