tidteknik

Tidteknik, or time technology, is an interdisciplinary field that studies the measurement, distribution, and application of time in devices, networks, and organizations. It covers clock design and timekeeping devices, the establishment and governance of time standards, and the management of temporal data across computing and communication systems.

Historically, tidteknik traces the evolution from sundials and mechanical clocks to quartz references and atomic clocks. Today, it centers on international time scales such as International Atomic Time (TAI) and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), maintained by metrology institutes and coordinated through the BIPM. UTC integrates atomic time with occasional leap seconds to stay in sync with Earth's rotation. Time signals are distributed through satellite navigation systems, radio broadcasts, and network protocols.

Core technologies include stable oscillators, time scales, and distribution networks, along with synchronization methods such as Network Time Protocol (NTP) and IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP). Time-stamping, sequence alignment, and metrological calibration ensure traceability to SI units.

Applications span telecommunications, finance, data centers, industrial automation, science, and navigation. The field also addresses governance, security against time spoofing, and the management of leap seconds and drift in distributed systems.

Related topics include chronometry, metrology, clock technologies, time synchronization, GPS time, NTP, and PTP.