Comparing LORAN Timing Capability to Industrial Requirements

Published

October 23, 2006

Author(s)

Michael A. Lombardi

Abstract

The telecommunications and electric power industries both operate systems that depend upon precise time synchronization or frequency control. These systems typically use signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites as their timing source, making them vulnerable to an extended GPS signal outage. This vulnerability has generated interest in LORAN as a redundant timing source. This paper discusses and interprets the stringent time and frequency requirements of three industrial applications: the frequency requirements for primary reference sources used in telecommunication networks, the timing requirements for base stations used for Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless telephones, and the timing requirements for the phasor measurement units (PMUs) operated by the electric power industry. It briefly looks at what GPS is required to do for these applications and discusses the holdover capability of GPS disciplined oscillators. The paper then compares the current and future timing capability of LORAN to the previously described industrial requirements.

Proceedings Title

Proceeding of 2006 International Loran Association Meeting

Conference Dates

October 23, 2006-October 25, 2007

Conference Location

Groton, CT

Conference Title

2006 International Loran Association Meeting

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

CDMA, frequency, GPS, industrial requirements, LORAN, time

Citation

Lombardi, M. (2006), Comparing LORAN Timing Capability to Industrial Requirements, Proceeding of 2006 International Loran Association Meeting, Groton, CT, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=50463 (Accessed April 19, 2024)