kellovirheet

Kellovirheet (plural) is a Finnish term used to describe errors or deviations in timekeeping across clocks and timing systems. The concept encompasses faults that cause a clock to run too fast or too slow, drift from a reference time, or fail to maintain synchronization with other time sources. Kellovirheet can affect various technologies, from traditional mechanical timepieces to modern electronic and atomic clocks, as well as the software that relies on accurate timing.

There are several sources of kellovirheet. Mechanical faults include wear or damage to gears, escapement, or mainspring, improper lubrication, and temperature-induced expansion or friction changes. In electronic and quartz-based systems, aging of oscillators, temperature sensitivity, and circuit defects can cause drift. In time-distribution networks, software bugs, synchronization protocol errors, or signal delays can introduce timing misalignment. Environmental factors such as magnetic fields, mechanical shocks, or rapid temperature changes can exacerbate these issues.

Impact and management vary by domain. For everyday devices, kellovirheet can lead to incorrect alarms or schedules. In telecommunications, computing, and navigation, clock errors can affect data integrity, timestamp accuracy, and system coordination. Detection methods include regular calibration, comparison with reference standards, and monitoring of clock stability metrics. Corrections may involve oscillator replacement, temperature compensation, recalibration, or rerouting time signals through more accurate sources such as atomic clocks or NTP-based time servers.

See also: timekeeping, clock drift, clock synchronization, oscillator, NTP, atomic clock.