Tracking Time on your Computer

Tracking Time on your Computer

Copyright (c) 2007 Galleon Systems
An accurate time reference is a fundamental requirement to many computer software applications. Although every Personal Computer incorporates an internal clock, it pays to check that the date and time settings are correct and this should be done routinely, every time the PC is turned on. For critical applications, the time base should be synchronised with a highly accurate external reference source.

Personal Computers are not designed to be perfect clocks. Their design has been optimised for mass production and low-cost rather than maintaining accurate time. Where time is crucial to the application, there are a number of precise external references available that enable computers to maintain accurate system time. This article looks at the various sources of time references to show how they can be utilised to maintain synchronised time on your computer.

Working to a synchronised time base is essential in computer networks. Without any external reference, individual computers will start to drift, anything from a few seconds to a few minutes each day. Clearly such a situation would not be acceptable when processing transactions or performing time critical tasks.

On the Internet this problem has been solved by introducing the Network Time Protocol (NTP). The NTP protocol supports the distribution of accurate time from a highly precise time server to network time clients. Most modern operating systems have the ability to synchronise time with an NTP server. Generally all that is required is the IP address or domain name of Stratum 1 or Stratum 2 NTP servers.

UNIX and LINUX operating Plattform is able to download the complete NTP application from the NTP website.ntp.org NTP is freely available, open source software, available under the GNU public license.

Microsoft Windows XP/2000/2003 and Vista operating systems use a simplified routine designated SNTP client for Simple Network Time Protocol. This is based on a sub-set of the Network Time Protocol, using a simplified NTP algorithm with many of the more complex high precision routines removed.

The Windows operating systems provide facilities for an IP address or domain name of an Internet or Intranet NTP server to be entered in the time properties tab. The SNTP client will then contact the NTP server periodically in order to update and synchronise system time.

Alternative methods will be required for standalone computers and systems which do not have access to the Internet. These can be provided with a local access to national radio time references which are transmitted free-to-air.

All that is required is a small RS232 serial or USB radio receiver, and the PC can obtain continuous accurate time. The Computer Time synchronises to the received time and frequency radio source.

Radio broadcasts are identified by their 'call sign' The UK time transmitter call sign, MSF, is located at Anthorn, Cumbria. Similar arrangements exist in Noth America - call sign WWVB from Colarado. Germany is covered by DCF broadcast from Mineflingen, near Frankfurt. National broadcasts are also available in France, Switzerland, Japan and Canada.

The only shortcoming with national radio time and frequency solutions is that they have a finite transmission range. In general they are limited to geographic boundaries also. Such issues do not apply to the Global Position System (GPS) a satellite based universal navigation system.

Each GPS satellite carries a highly accurate synchronised atomic clock. This enables GPS to provide precise timing information anywhere on the face of the planet. All that is required to receive the transmission is a low cost-cost GPS receiver and antenna with a clear view of the sky. PC connections are similar to the radio transmissions configuration, using a serial or USB port, enabling accurate timing information to be available continuously.

By : Magdalena Sperber
Keyword : Tracking Time on your Computer

Gaming Virtually in Today's World

Gaming Virtually in Today's World

Everybody loves a good game to get rid of the stresses of the day. After a long day of work, a good game of Scrabble can be a lot of fun, as can a game of Monopoly. If one is not keen to rack one's brains too much, one can also go work up some sweat by playing a game of squash or tennis on the lawn.

Unfortunately, most of these games require more than one person. If you have ever played Checkers on your own, you will agree that it can get boring after just a few moves. However, these days, it is tough to always get people to play with you. After all, everybody has their own lives to lead. Everybody has his own share of tensions.

What do you do if you have no one to give you company in playing a game of your choice? You rejoice because you have your computer to play with. Thanks to the rise of video and computer games, we no longer have to sit at home and mope because our football buddies decided they had better things to do. In the worst case, all that one has to do is switch on the computer and turn to a whole host of games.

From word games and shooting games to field sports and casino games, there are hundreds of games that the bored person can turn to for rejuvenation. If you do not have your favorite games already saved on your computer, just search for them on the Internet. There are scores of websites that allow game downloads. Moreover, everyone nowadays seems to be downloading games all the time. Find a game you love, and download it on to your computer. Then you can spend hours just moving the mouse and the cursor keys and reaching newer and newer top scores everyday.

The chess buff who cannot get a good enough opponent can always try his luck against the computer or against a sufficiently skilled online partner. In fact, lots of people are choosing to play chess online these days. Life has certainly become exciting for the game lover.

The Internet provides the game lover with access to all kinds of free online games. There are games based on movies and popular cartoon series. There are games that involve speed and violence. And there are games that involve thinking hard and strategizing. There really seems to be something for everybody.

By : Ajeet Khurana
Keyword : Gaming