RF Shorts – May 10, 2012

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New Trimble System Provides 15 Nanosecond Timing Accuracy
This week Trimble announced a new smart GNSS timing antenna that includes multi-Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capabilities. The Acutime GG smart antenna provides a pulse-per-second (PPS) output synchronized to UTC within 15 nanoseconds. The receiver uses GPS and GLONASS signals and supports Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) and the Asian Pacific Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). The pole mounted antenna is about the size of a baseball and can support cable runs of up to 400 feet with standard cable or 1800 feet using custom cables with an RS-422 interface. Broadcasters may find the antenna useful for synchronized transmitters or mobile DTV systems. The Acutime Starter Kit includes the smart antenna, a 100 foot cable, user guide, RS-422 to USB converter and a Microsoft Windows software tool for monitoring and communication. The Acutime GG Smart Timing Antenna is expected to be available in 3Q2012 through Trimble's sales network.

While the device does not provide an NTP output, the 1 PPS signal can be used to synchronize an NTP server.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.