Will Your Network Time Servers Be Affected By The September 2022 Delayed GPS Rollover?

What is GPS Rollover?

As GPS satellites transmit signals with position and timing information, they will send information for the current week, called GPS Week Number. The week number is sent as a ten-bit binary value that ranges from 0-1023 weeks. Once the week reaches 1024, however, the GPS Week Number resets to 0 and that 1024-week period – called a GPS epoch – starts over. It marks the beginning of a new GPS epoch which will affect the start of the time for GPS. This reset event is called GPS Rollover and it can cause serious timekeeping and network issues if not addressed properly.

Why it is Important

Many critical infrastructures, networks and communication systems rely accurate timing signals to ensure uninterrupted operation. Events like a GPS rollover can detrimentally affect a network or system. For example, On April 6th, 2019 during the most recent GPS Rollover event, Honeywell’s flight management system and navigation system suddenly acted as if it had jumped 20 years in the past, causing flight delays and cancellations. Other instances entailed the malfunctioning of older cell phones and wifi networks. The most recent GPS Rollover event occurred on April 6th, 2019 and the next one wont occur until 2038. However, even though the most recent GPS Rollover has already passed, there are some GPS receivers that will experience a rollover in September, 2022 due to a scheduled rollover delay date set by the receiver manufacturers.

Solution

Solution integrators are already notifying and preparing customers for the event. It is important to note that different GPS receiver manufacturers have come up with different ways to address the most recent GPS Rollover. Most receivers were updated with software to account for the next 20 years. But other GPS receiver manufacturers set a delayed date for the rollover date to occur on – September 18th, 2022. If your network or system must remain operational in 2022 without interruptions then consider switching to the 9483 GPS NetClock or the SecureSync Time & Frequence Reference Platform. Whether your application is in Public Safety, Defense, or high-speed commercial networking, these solutions can ensure that your system receives accurate time information and stays synchronized.

Why Choose Us

• GPS Rollover Proof – The current u-Blox GPS receiver that is used in the Orolia timing products – including master clocks and timing & frequency reference systems have the capability to continually update calculations to allow for continuous operation, regardless of GPS week rollovers.
• Stunningly Accurate – Sub nano second resolution for timing synchronization, ideal for mission-critical applications, commercial datacenters and radar defense applications.
• Field Proven – 20,000+ units deployed in over 100 countries; dedicated support team.
• Resilient – SecureSync provides the ability to install timing source backup references in case a GPS signal is lost. This guarantees continued operation.
• Intuitive – Web UI designed to provide an excellent user experience.
• Modular – You can customize the time servers to fit into your existing hardware by choosing the relevant option cards.

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