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Time and frequency

GPS common-view time and frequency transfer service

Bringing the UK national time standard into your laboratory

NPL is the only organisation in the UK that can provide direct traceability to the global time standard, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The GPS common-view receiver brings the UK national time standard into your laboratory, keeping your time and frequency standards in place and productive. Your time and frequency standard is analysed and monitored relative to the UK national time standard. The service provides you with independent integrity checks and can be used to support your quality systems.

Calibration laboratories, designated institutes and research organisations can benefit from the highest level of time and frequency accuracy anywhere in the UK, as can manufacturers developing or validating time and frequency products such as hydrogen masers, caesium clocks, rubidium oscillators, GPS disciplined oscillators and other GPS timing devices. This service is the only practical option for those who need to quantify the in-situ performance of their GPS timing equipment with high accuracy.

Technical details

Accreditation: The NPL GPS common-view service is UKAS accredited.

Wide coverage: GPS common-view allows NPL to reach other national laboratories in North America and Europe, so coverage across the whole of the UK and beyond is well inside the technical limits of the service.

Integrity: Your time and frequency standard is monitored relative to the UK national time standard and analysed by NPL staff. The service provides you with independent integrity checks and can be used to support your quality systems.

Time accuracy: Traceability to UTC time-of-day at a level suitable for characterising GPS timing signals:

  • 10 ns uncertainty relative to UTC(NPL) (1 sigma)
  • 20 ns uncertainty relative to UTC (1 sigma)

Frequency accuracy: Traceability for fractional frequency offset measurements at a level suitable for characterising GPS timing signals:

  • 5x10-14 relative to UTC(NPL) (1 sigma, averaged over 1 day)
  • 5x10-14 relative to UTC (1 sigma, averaged over 1 day)

Traceability: The service provides explicit traceability to national standards and to the international time scale UTC.

NPL continuously monitors this service to ensure ongoing accuracy and reliability.

Don’t see what you are looking for? Our diverse skill set enables us to provide bespoke solutions. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

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Contact our Customer Services team on +44 20 8943 7070