Atomic clock for perfect time process control

Since gas suppliers use atomic clock time to determine a company’s hourly and 24-hour gas consumption, it is crucial for companies with gas contracts to know the exact current time.

If the system time of the process computer deviates from the atomic clock time, differences may emerge between the gas consumption measured by the computer and that measured by the gas company. That is why it is important to regularly check whether the system time of the process computer and the Synopta Server are still accurate. This can now be performed automatically with our new time synchronization unit.

The new time synchronization hardware consists of an aerial unit and a receiver unit which is connected to the Synopta Server. The aerial unit can be placed up to 100 metres away from the receiver unit. The NTP (Network Time Protocol) software supplied with the hardware then synchronizes the system time of the Synopta Server and the MultiMa process computer to the atomic clock time.

Atomic clocks are the most accurate clocks in the world and are used by governmental bodies to define the exact time. This highly precise time measurement is transmitted by radio signal throughout Europe and North America and can be picked up by special long-wave radio receivers. The Netherlands and the European mainland use the radio transmitter in Mainflinger, Germany. A time synchronization unit which uses the atomic clock radio signal is accurate to within one second every million years.