[time-nuts] GPS SDR (was: FE-.5680A trimming resolution)

Tom Van Baak tvb at LeapSecond.com
Wed Feb 1 19:46:43 UTC 2012


Chris,

When you're down at the ns level, every ns counts even more.
There actually a "huge" difference between a UT and VP and
M12 and ...

Then again, it's not always about nanoseconds. There are also
issues of power and size, support, supply, price, the future.
Perhaps also RF sensitivity, feature set, upgrade path for the
likes of GLONASS or Galileo, acquisition time. Even RoHS.

Perhaps this doesn't matter for a one-off hobbyist, but if you're
making kits or products it can become an important factor.

If you are inclined to experiment, just for the sake of exploring
as many of us on the list are, then certainly you'd want to get
a u-blox at some point. It doesn't have to be right away, but it
is a pretty nice, very modern, ultra compact, timing receiver.

If low cost is the object it's hard to beat that MG1613S board.

/tvb

> What is it these u-blox device can do that a cheaper Motorola Oncore
> can't?   Depending on the version the Oncore has for 50 to 5 nS
> one-sigma error on the timing pulses and can do either 1PPS or 100PPS.
>  Single unit prices are from $18 to $60 very good documentation is
> available.
> 
> If the u-blox was somehow much better than a Trimble thunderbolt or
> Motorola Oncore MT12T I'd buy one even at the above price.   But
> really these older GPSs are already at the single digtit of
> nanoseconds level and I don't see room for improvement except....
> 
> If the L2 band is also used.   This is the way to get order of
> magnitude improments
> 
> 
> Chris Albertson
> Redondo Beach, California





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