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Re: [time-nuts] GPSDO - probably a stupid question.

PS
Pete Stephenson
Wed, Aug 17, 2016 7:30 AM

On Aug 17, 2016 09:04, "Peter Reilley" preilley_454@comcast.net wrote:

As a neophyte, I was wondering: rather that trying to discipline an

external

oscillator to create a GPSDO and produce a precise 10 MHz why not

discipline the oscillator

of the GPS receiver itself?  This could be done with a varactor diode

across crystal of the

receiver's oscillator.  Of course there are the same problems with

trying to servo this

oscillator as there are trying to servo an external oscillator but there

are fewer parts.

It's a very good idea, and is precisely what the Trimble Thunderbolt does
with its 10MHz OCXO that it uses both as a system clock and a 10MHz output.

Cheers!
-Pete

On Aug 17, 2016 09:04, "Peter Reilley" <preilley_454@comcast.net> wrote: > > As a neophyte, I was wondering: rather that trying to discipline an external > oscillator to create a GPSDO and produce a precise 10 MHz why not discipline the oscillator > of the GPS receiver itself? This could be done with a varactor diode across crystal of the > receiver's oscillator. Of course there are the same problems with trying to servo this > oscillator as there are trying to servo an external oscillator but there are fewer parts. It's a very good idea, and is precisely what the Trimble Thunderbolt does with its 10MHz OCXO that it uses both as a system clock and a 10MHz output. Cheers! -Pete
NS
Nick Sayer
Wed, Aug 17, 2016 4:28 PM

This would only likely be done for a GPS timing receiver, and even then likely only with something like a TCXO.

An ordinary GPS receiver can achieve positional results within modern spec without trimming its internal oscillator, and timing receivers solve the quantization problem by reporting the error rather than eliminating it.

Even if a GPS module had one, it wouldn’t get any better results with a more accurate oscillator, so the manufacturers don’t bother.

On Aug 17, 2016, at 12:30 AM, Pete Stephenson pete@heypete.com wrote:

On Aug 17, 2016 09:04, "Peter Reilley" preilley_454@comcast.net wrote:

As a neophyte, I was wondering: rather that trying to discipline an

external

oscillator to create a GPSDO and produce a precise 10 MHz why not

discipline the oscillator

of the GPS receiver itself?  This could be done with a varactor diode

across crystal of the

receiver's oscillator.  Of course there are the same problems with

trying to servo this

oscillator as there are trying to servo an external oscillator but there

are fewer parts.

It's a very good idea, and is precisely what the Trimble Thunderbolt does
with its 10MHz OCXO that it uses both as a system clock and a 10MHz output.

Cheers!
-Pete


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This would only likely be done for a GPS timing receiver, and even then likely only with something like a TCXO. An ordinary GPS receiver can achieve positional results within modern spec without trimming its internal oscillator, and timing receivers solve the quantization problem by reporting the error rather than eliminating it. Even if a GPS module had one, it wouldn’t get any better results with a more accurate oscillator, so the manufacturers don’t bother. > On Aug 17, 2016, at 12:30 AM, Pete Stephenson <pete@heypete.com> wrote: > > On Aug 17, 2016 09:04, "Peter Reilley" <preilley_454@comcast.net> wrote: >> >> As a neophyte, I was wondering: rather that trying to discipline an > external >> oscillator to create a GPSDO and produce a precise 10 MHz why not > discipline the oscillator >> of the GPS receiver itself? This could be done with a varactor diode > across crystal of the >> receiver's oscillator. Of course there are the same problems with > trying to servo this >> oscillator as there are trying to servo an external oscillator but there > are fewer parts. > > It's a very good idea, and is precisely what the Trimble Thunderbolt does > with its 10MHz OCXO that it uses both as a system clock and a 10MHz output. > > Cheers! > -Pete > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there.