timesignal

Timesignal, or time signal, is a signal that conveys time information or serves as a reference to synchronize clocks and operations across a system. Time signals can be broadcast over radio, distributed over networks, or generated locally as a clock reference in hardware. They enable accurate time stamping, coordinated control, and event sequencing in telecommunications networks, scientific instrumentation, and consumer electronics.

Common forms include radio time signals that transmit a periodic pulse and encoded time data (such as year, day, hour, minute, and seconds) and coded time codes used in laboratory or industrial settings. In global positioning systems, the pulse-per-second signal provides a highly precise timing reference; electrical and optical clock networks use clock or PPS signals to distribute timing across equipment. Internet and corporate networks implement time signals through protocols such as NTP, PTP (IEEE 1588), and related time codes like IRIG, which encode absolute or relative time information for synchronization.

Applications include synchronized measurement campaigns, distributed data acquisition, financial trading systems that require timestamp ordering, and multimedia systems where synchronized playback matters.

Implementation considerations include accuracy, stability, jitter, latency, and robustness to noise. Time-source hierarchy typically comprises a primary reference (e.g., GPS or national time standard), a distribution network, and local clocks at endpoints.

See also: Time code, Clock signal, NTP, PTP, GPS, IRIG, WWV, DCF77.