Tidsignaler

Time signals, or tidsignaler in Swedish, are signals transmitted to convey precise time information to receivers for synchronization of clocks and time-dependent systems. They are designed to be reliable and easy to decode and are used by a wide range of applications, from consumer clocks to critical infrastructure where timing accuracy matters.

Common forms include radio time signals that broadcast a periodic time code, often accompanied by a steady cadence such as a one-second pulse. The time code may encode the current time and date, and sometimes leap seconds. Digital networks distribute time references through protocols such as NTP and PTP, while satellite systems like GPS provide highly accurate timing by embedding timing data in navigation messages.

Historically, time signals have been used to synchronize laboratory equipment, telecommunications networks, broadcasting facilities, and large clocks. In the radio era public stations transmitted standard time for general audiences. With the expansion of digital networks, time signals have become global, enabling synchronized operations across continents and critical services including finance, aviation, and data centers.

See also: time code, GPS time, NTP, PTP, WWV, DCF77, MSF.