Work

A UTC(k)-Linked Platform for Monitoring of NTP Time Transfer Performance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Accurate time dissemination is essential for telecommunications, scientific instrumentation, industrial control, and distributed computer systems, motivating the development of cost-effective timing solutions. This work presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of low-cost Network Time Protocol (NTP) Stratum-1 servers based on Raspberry Pi platforms disciplined by a pulse-per-second (PPS) signal derived from a UTC(k) reference. The proposed systems were configured and optimized to provide traceable time synchronization services and were assessed through long-term comparisons against institutional Stratum-1 reference servers. Time offset and network delay were continuously monitored over extended observation periods, while synchronization stability was characterized using Time Deviation (TDEV) analysis. The findings indicate that Raspberry Pi-based NTP servers provide a practical and economical platform for the performance monitoring of industrial NTP servers, supporting the long-term evaluation of time dissemination services.

Source: Time and space

DOI: 10.3390/timespace2030007

Authors: Diego Luna, Federico Bareilles

Institutions: National Institute of Industrial Technology, Argentine-German Geodetic Observatory

Language: English

Topic: Network Time Synchronization Technologies

Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207