ARRL

Register Account

Login Help

Forum Home - Rules - Help - Login - Forgot Password
Members can access, post and reply to the forums below. Before you do, please first read the RULES.

GPS Time input for Laptop

Aug 3rd 2017, 22:57

KI7LFD

Joined: Mar 13th 2017, 22:46
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I'm interesting in using the GPS system to provide accurate time updates for my laptop. The laptop would be used in the field without an internet connection. I'm assuming that I would use a simple GPS receiving antenna (Thinking ~ $40.00) which provides digital data via a USB connector to the laptop.
(Bad assumption ??).

After connecting the computer to the receiver's USB connector, I'm lost. How do I process this data and use it to update the computer's clock ? Is there s/w (Freeware) that will do this manipulation for me? My laptop runs Windows 10.

I realize that the GPS signal and the data extracted from it is complex and believe I'm in over my head.

Thanks in advance for any help

Regards,
Rich KI7LFD
Aug 4th 2017, 07:01

W1VT

Super Moderator

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
It is complicated.
http://www.laptopgpsworld.com/3235-pc-clock-synchronization-using-gps

https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-ultimate-gps/overview
Here is a $40 gps with a 10Hz update rate for someone who wants to do their own custom programming.

Zack W1VT
ARRL Senior Lab Engineer
Aug 8th 2017, 16:57

KI7LFD

Joined: Mar 13th 2017, 22:46
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
My BU-353S4 USB GPS receiver arrived yesterday. After more than 2 hours looking for free software, etc to move the UTC data info from the receiver into my computer I finally came across GPStime. After inputting baud rate and port # information into GPStime, the link was made and my computer clock in now automatically updated every minute with UTC time information. Perhaps I've oversimplified it. My computers now has several useless files gathered during my trial and error efforts, but it seems to work. Time will tell. Now to find some free "Logging S/W" and work on putting this all together.

Regards,
KI7LFD 73's
Sep 25th 2017, 01:31

jazzop

Joined: Aug 23rd 2016, 22:57
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Sounds like you have made satisfactory progress so far, and the precision you require is not to the level of a true NTP or PTP time server. However, you may find that you have reliability/accuracy issues with the Bluetooth or USB connection, depending on the software you choose to use. In case any other readers of this thread are interested, the simplest and cheapest method I have found for a very accurate GPS time source (i.e., for establishing an NTP server) is to use an older GPS unit with a true RS-232 serial port. Look for higher-end aviation, marine, or surveyor models; these units will have external antenna SMA connectors, serial ports, and configurable NMEA output settings. Yet they will be free or cheap if they are sufficiently old.

Back to Top

EXPLORE ARRL

Instragram     Facebook     Twitter     YouTube     LinkedIn