Network time and frequency transfer with GNSS receivers located in time laboratories

Area of Science:

• Geodesy
• Metrology
• Satellite Navigation

Background:

• Accurate time and frequency transfer is crucial for scientific and technological applications.
• Existing methods like Precise Point Positioning (PPP) have limitations in large-scale network management.
• The International GNSS Service (IGS) provides a model for centralized analysis center solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel network solution (ODTS) for time and frequency transfer.
• To assess the feasibility and advantages of managing clock differences within a network of timing institutes.
• To compare the performance of the ODTS network solution against PPP and other time transfer methods.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a suite of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) software products for comprehensive analysis.
• Developed and implemented a network solution (ODTS) for solving clock differences and other geodetic quantities.
• Evaluated time and frequency transfer capabilities through comparative analysis.

Main Results:

• The ODTS network solution demonstrates feasibility for managing clock differences across multiple timing institutes.
• The investigation highlights potential advantages of this unified approach for time and frequency transfer.
• Comparative analysis provides insights into the performance relative to PPP and other established methods.

Conclusions:

• The proposed network solution offers a viable and advantageous approach for precise time and frequency transfer.
• The ODTS system facilitates efficient management of clock differences within a distributed network.
• Further research can build upon these findings to optimize global timekeeping infrastructure.