Towards an all-digital time scale

Published

July 31, 2011

Author(s)

Stefania Romisch, Steven R. Jefferts, Thomas E. Parker

Abstract

The implementation of an all-digital time scale is under way at NIST, using a novel 8-channel, all-digital phase measurement system based on subsampling techniques. The phase measurement system is used to compare output signals from several commercial atomic frequency standards; the phase differences between these signals, at different measurement times, will then be input to the algorithm used to generate the digital time scale. The subsampling technique allows the elimination of analog mixers in the system's front-end, with their noise contributions, and yields performance that are comparable or better that the present state of the art. Long-term (up to 80 days) comparisons of both common-clock performance and fractional frequency measurements between the latest generation of the digital measurement system and the commercially available system used in the implementation of UTC(NIST) are presented.

Proceedings Title

Proceedings of the 2011 Joint IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium and European Frequency and Time Forum

Conference Dates

May 1-5, 2011

Conference Location

San Francisco, CA

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

digital phase measurement, frequency offset, phase measurement, time scale

Citation

Romisch, S. , Jefferts, S. and Parker, T. (2011), Towards an all-digital time scale, Proceedings of the 2011 Joint IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium and European Frequency and Time Forum, San Francisco, CA (Accessed April 25, 2024)