[time-nuts] Small time server for mobile use.

[Chris Albertson]

If you already have several computers running NTP why add yet anther?
Configure them all as peers and add an reference clock.   Do you
really need a dedicated NTP server?   I'd think that all you need is a
reference clock of some kind, such as a GPS receiver and to change
some nt..conf files.

On Tue, May 12, 2015 at 6:26 PM, Mark Spencer <mark at alignedsolutions.com> wrote:
> Thanks for this.   This (and the other responses) were the type of answers I was hoping for.
>
> The budget is probably up to several thousand for a robust COTS product that won't add significant operational hassles.   (Kludging a laptop to run as an NTP server would be an example of a solution that would add operational hassles.)  Equipment designed for rack mounting is a bit less than ideal (the equipment bay in the vehicle is not really set up for rack mounted gear) but we could probably work out a way to mount a one u device, and mounting a laptop adds it's own set of challenges, although a laptop can be mounted outside of the equipment bay.   The ideal form factor would be something the size of a small paper back book (or smaller) that could be surface mounted or secured via clamps to a piece of tubing that is already in the equipment bay.
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On 2015-05-12, at 3:03 PM, Bob Darlington <rdarlington at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> What's your budget?  I've done this with 1U sized NTP servers from
>> Symmetricom (S300 and S350 systems) for mobile military use.  These are a
>> few thousand bucks a pop.  They're rugged, and held up just fine in places
>> the military goes.Compared to the rest of the system I was working on, this
>> was quite small in comparison and we used more than one at each location.
>> My personal one died recently so I'm working on developing a cape for the
>> BeagleBone Black.  The prototype is working just fine so far so I'm moving
>> forward with a board layout and eventual sale to the list members if there
>> is any interest (I'm not asking for interest yet).
>>
>> -Bob
>>
>> On Tue, May 12, 2015 at 11:11 AM, Mark Spencer <mark at alignedsolutions.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi sorry for a possibly OT post.
>>> Has anyone had practical experience with small commercially available time
>>> servers / ntp servers suitable for mobile  use in a vehicle.
>>>
>>> The use case is I am in need of an accurate (ie.  within 100 ms) time
>>> source for several pc's in moving vehicle.    Being able to run directly
>>> off a 13.8 or 28 VDC  source would be a major plus but AC power is also
>>> available.
>>>
>>> Hold over if there are gaps in GPS coverage is also a major plus.
>>>
>>> We already have a GPS with a 1 pps output, but an integrated box with it's
>>> own GPS would be best.
>>>
>>> Yes I am aware I could feed a 1 pps signal into a laptop and use that as a
>>> time server and I may end up going that route.
>>>
>>> There is a small Ethernet LAN in the vehicle.  The pc's currently get
>>> their time via a wireless connection to various NTP servers.   I need to be
>>> able to ensure accurate time on the PC's if there is no wireless coverage.
>>>
>>>
>>> This is for a one off project so piecing together various parts is an
>>> option but a single box COTS solution would be nice.  I've found a few
>>> candidates via web searches but would welcome any feed back.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance
>>>
>>> Mark Spencer
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-- 

Chris Albertson
Redondo Beach, California