Subject: supported GPS time receivers for NTP service?
To: None <current-users@netbsd.org, port-i386@netbsd.org>
From: Alicia da Conceicao <alicia@engine.ca>
List: current-users
Date: 12/20/2004 04:41:58
Greetings:

I urgently need a number of GPS time receivers with a PPS (Pulse Per
Second) feed that I can phase-lock with a NTP (Network Time Protocol)
service on NetBSD.  These will be deployed on private networks in
remote locations overseas without any Internet access, so that they
can provide extremely precise time from the atomic clock signal that
is broadcast from the GPS satellite network.

There are hardware black-box units, some with ovenized timing crystals,
but these cost many thousands of dollars each, which is far beyond my
budget.

1) Does NetBSD support any type of GPS receiver with a PPS feed?

2) If (1) is yes, can any of these be set up so that the time received
	on these units be phased locked with an NTP service on NetBSD?

3) Has anyone else done this with NetBSD?

Note that those consumer GPS receivers (serial/USB/CompactFlash) that
are commonly available ***DO NOT HAVE A PPS FEED***, and hense cannot
provide precise (>= 1 usec) timing.

Franklin clocks has a reasonable priced GPS time receiver with a PPS
feed, which works with Win32, but they make no mention of opensource
Unix (*BSD, Linux, Darwin, etc.) support.

	http://www.franklinclock.com/gps.htm
	http://www.franklinclock.com/gpsreceivertech.htm

There are also very inexpensive GPS receiver modules with a PPS feed,
like:

	http://www.roundsolutions.com/gps/

but that would require building a PCI/USB/... board and writing device
drivers for it, which is not an option.  I need a turn key solution
that I can deploy in two weeks.

Any assistance is greatly appreciate.

Thank you in advance.
Alicia.