How Accurate Is Clock Synchronization? Exploring Protocols and Technologies

Discover the accuracy of various clock synchronization methods like NTP and GPS, and their applications.

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Clock synchronization is crucial for many applications and its accuracy depends on the protocol and technology used. NTP (Network Time Protocol) can achieve an accuracy of 1-50 milliseconds over the internet, while GPS-based systems can reach a precision of up to 10 nanoseconds. For most everyday applications, this level of accuracy is sufficient.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What is clock synchronization? Clock synchronization is the process of coordinating time across different devices or systems.
  2. How does the Network Time Protocol (NTP) work? NTP synchronizes the clocks of computers over a network by using a set of time servers.
  3. What applications require precise clock synchronization? Applications such as telecommunications, financial trading, and data logging rely on accurate time synchronization.
  4. Why is GPS more accurate than NTP? GPS systems can achieve precision of up to 10 nanoseconds, while NTP generally has an accuracy range of 1-50 milliseconds.