Technical Information
Operating Instructions
PZF600
Impressum
Meinberg Funkuhren GmbH & Co. KG
Lange Wand 9
D-31812 Bad Pyrmont
Phone: +49 (0) 52 81 / 9309-0
Fax: +49 (0) 52 81 / 9309-30
Internet: http://www.meinberg.de
Email: info@meinberg.de
April 19, 2011
Table of contents
Impressum ............................................................................................ 2
General information .............................................................................. 6
Features PZF600 .................................................................................. 7
Installation PZF600 .............................................................................. 8
Operating voltage ........................................................................ 8
Antenna ....................................................................................... 8
Assembly of antenna.......................................................... 8
Front panel ............................................................................................ 9
Pilot LEDs ............................................................................................ 9
Display ............................................................................................... 10
Control keys ....................................................................................... 10
Menu items ......................................................................................... 10
Menu TIME .............................................................................. 10
Menu DATE ............................................................................. 11
Menu DAY o.W. ...................................................................... 11
Menu PZF STAT ...................................................................... 11
Menu FIELD............................................................................. 12
Menu SETUP............................................................................ 12
Menu DIST. o. T ............................................................. 12
Menu OUTP ENA .......................................................... 13
Menu SYNTH. ................................................................ 13
Menu TIME REF ............................................................ 13
Menu PAR.COMx .......................................................... 14
Menu SER.MODE .......................................................... 14
Menu STR.COMx ........................................................... 14
Menu IRIG ...................................................................... 15
Menu IRIG REF .............................................................. 15
Menu OSZ.ADJ. ............................................................. 16
Menu DAC CLR ............................................................. 16
Menu SER. No. ............................................................... 16
Asynchronous serial interfaces ........................................................... 17
Pulse outputs ....................................................................................... 17
Standard frequencies ........................................................................... 17
Frequency synthesizer ........................................................................ 18
Timecode ............................................................................................ 18
Abstract ..................................................................................... 18
Block Diagram Timecode ......................................................... 19
IRIG Standard Format ............................................................... 20
AFNOR Standard Format ......................................................... 21
Assignment of CF Segment in IEEE1344 Code ....................... 22
DC and AM Timecodes ............................................................ 23
Sine Wave AM Output .................................................... 23
PWM DC Output............................................................. 23
DCF77 Emulation .............................................................................. 23
Realtime clock .................................................................................... 24
TIME_SYN output ............................................................................. 24
Firmware updates ............................................................................... 25
Replacing the lithium battery .............................................................. 25
CE Label ............................................................................................ 25
Technical specifications ...................................................................... 26
PZF600 with different oscillator options ................................... 28
Time Strings .............................................................................. 29
Format of the Meinberg Standard Time String................. 29
Format of the Uni Erlangen String (NTP)........................ 30
Format of the ATIS standard Time String........................ 32
Format of the SYSPLEX-1 Time String .......................... 33
Format of the SAT Time String ....................................... 34
Format of the SPA Time String ....................................... 35
Format of the Computime Time String ............................ 36
Menu Quick Reference PZF600 ......................................................... 37
Signal description PZF600 ........................................................ 38
Rear Connector Pin assignment................................................. 39
General information
The German long wave transmitter DCF77 started continious operation in 1970. The
introduction of time codes in 1973 build the basic for developing modern radio remote
clocks.
The carrier frequency of 77.5kHz is amplitude modulated with time marks each
second. The BCD-coding of the time telegram is done by shifting the amplitude to 25%
for a period of 0.1s for a logical '0' and for 0.2s for a logical '1'. The receiver reconstructs
the time frame by demodulating this DCF-signal. Because the AM-signal is normally
superimposed by interfering signals, filtering of the received signal is required. The
resulting bandwidth-limiting causes a skew of the demodulated time marks which is in
the range of 10ms. Variations of the trigger level of the demodulator make the accuracy
of the time marks worse by additional +/-3ms. Because this precision is not sufficient for
lots of applications, the PTB (Physical and Technical Institute of Germany) began to
spread time informations by using the correlation technique.
The DCF-transmitter is modulated with a pseudo-random phase noise in addition to
the AM. The pseudo-random sequence (PZF) contains 512 bits which are transmitted by
phase modulation between the AM-time marks. The bit sequence is build of the same
number of logical '0' and logical '1' to get a symmetrical PZF to keep the average phase of
the carrier constant. The length of one bit is 120 DCF-clocks, corresponding to 1,55ms.
The carrier of 77.5kHz is modulated with a phase deviation of +/-10° per bit. The bit
sequence is transmitted each second, it starts 200ms after the beginning of a AM second
mark and ends shortly before the next one.
Compared to an AM DCF77-receiver, the input filter of a correlation receiver can be
dimensioned wide-bandwidth. The incoming signal is correlated with a reconstructed
receiver-PZF. This correlation analysis allows the generation of time marks which have
a skew of only some microseconds. In addition, the interference immunity is increased
by this method because interference signals are suppressed by averaging the incoming
signal. By sending the original or the complemented bit sequence, the BCD-coded time
information is transmitted.
The absolute accuracy of the generated time frame depends on the quality of the
receiver and the distance to the transmitter, but also on the conditions of transmission.
Therefore the absolute precision of the time frame is better in summer and at day than in
winter and at night. The reason for this phenomenon is a difference in the portion of the
sky wave which superimposes the ground wave. To check the accuracy of the time
frame, the comparison of two systems with compensated propagation delay is meaningful.
6
6
Features PZF600
The PZF600 is a high precision receive module for the DCF77-signal build in eurocard
size (100mm x 160mm). The 61mm wide front panel contains an eight digit alphanumeric display, three LEDs and two keys as control actuators.
The microcontroller of the system correlates its receiver-PZF with the incoming
pseudorandom sequence and decodes the time information of the DCF-telegram simultaneously. The controller handles input and output functions of the PZF600 and synchronizes the internal realtime clock.
By evaluating the pseudorandom phase noise, the PZF600 is able to generate time
frames with thousand times the accuracy of standard AM-time code receiver. The precise
regulation of the main oscillator of the radio clock is possible therefore. So, the PZF600
can be used as a standard frequency generator besides the application as a time code
receiver. Four fixed and one settable TTL-level standard frequencies are available at the
rear VG-connector. The synthesizer frequency exists as an open drain output and a
sinewave signal also.
Compared to the former PZF511 the new PZF600 provides the capability to evaluate
the high-precision pseudorandom phase noise as well as the common amplitude
modulated AM signal. If the PZF signal is disturbed an cannot be received, the PZF600
automatically switches over to decode the AM signal, if available, and ensures
synchronisation.
The PZF600 generates an IRIG timecode that is available at the rear VG-connector
both as a modulated AM and as an unmodulated DCoutput. Furthermore, the receiver
provides active-low and active-high TTL pulses per minute and per second. To spread
time, date and status information, four independent serial interfaces (RS232 COM ports)
are used which are configurable in a setup menu.
The PZF600 includes a battery-backed realtime clock which runs crystal-precise if the
main power supply fails. Important system parameters are stored in a battery-backed
RAM or non-volatile (EEPROM) memory.
If an update of system software becomes necessary, the new firmware can be loaded
via serial interface (COM0) without removing the PZF600 from its application (field
programmable).
7
Installation PZF600
To achieve the technical data given in chapter 'technical specifications', the following
points must be observed.
Operating voltage
The clock operates with a single +5V supply. The output voltage should be well
regulated because drifting supply voltages reduce the short time accuracy of the generated frequencies and timing pulses. The power supply lines should have low resistance
and be connected using both pins a and c of the rear connector.
Antenna
The external ferrite antenna AW02 is connected to the receiver by using a 50 ohm coax
cable. If reception is sufficient, the length of the cable can be up to several hundred
meters without any problems. An antenna amplifier is available for very long antenna
cables.
Assembly of antenna
The antenna has to be mounted as exactly as possible. Turning it out of the main receive
direction will result in less accurate time frames. The antenna must be placed in
longitudinal direction to the DCF-transmitter (Frankfurt). The antenna should be
installed with a minimum distance of 30cm to all metal objects and, if possible, to any
microcomputers and the PZF600 itself as well. A distance of several meters to TV- or
computermonitors must be kept.
With help of the menu 'FIELD' the adjustment of the antenna can be done easily. The
displayed value is proportional to the received field strength. The best method of
mounting the antenna is to look for the minimum field strength and turn the antenna by
90° into maximum, then. A high field strength on its own is no guarantee for good
conditions of receiption, because interfering signals within the bandwidth of the receiver
also have an effect on the displayed value.
The maximum interference immunity can be found by looking at the autocorrelation
coefficient (in percent) in the menu 'PZF-STAT'. The displayed value should be close to
100% for best receiption.
8
Front panel
Pilot LEDs
The Field-LED is switched on if a DCF-signal with at least minimum field strength
needed for the correlation receiption is detected at the input of the receiver.
Whenever the reception of the pseudorandom PZF signal is not possible but the AM
signal is available, the 'Field'-LED starts to blink once per second with a pulse duration
of 100 or 200ms, corresponding to the demodulated DCF pulses.
The Syn.-LED indicates that the autocorrelation coefficient decreases beyond a value
that is needed and a correct receiption is not possible therefore. This happens if a strong
interferer within the bandwidth of the receiver is present or the transmitter is switched of.
Furthermore, this LED is switched on whenever the receiver is using the AM signal
instead of the PZF signal for synchronisation, no matter if the clock is sync'ed or not.
If the Free-LED is on, it was not possible to synchronize the internal realtime clock to
DCF-time. This condition occures for at most two minutes after switching on the
PZF600, because two DCF-telegrams are checked for plausibility before the data is
taken over. Short disturbance of receiption can cause this state too.
This LED is switched off when the receiver is synchronous, this applies for PZF
reception as well as for AM reception.
9
Display
The eight digit alphanumeric display shows important information concerning status and
time. The setting of system parameters is also done with the help of the display.
Control keys
It is possible to change the displayed information (time, date or status information) by
two keys. Pushing Menu selects one of the available menus. After presing Set the
corresponding information appears on the display. Furthermore, the keys are used to set
user-specific parameters in several submenus.
Menu items
The type of DCF-clock and the software revision are displyed first after power-up. The
following informations are readable before the PZF600 switches to time-display automatically:
The handling of any queries will be simplified if the software revision can be given by
the user. The following menus are available then:
Menu TIME
In this menu the current time is displayed (this is the default after power up).
10
Menu DATE
After Set is pressed, the actual date appears on the display.
Menu DAY o.W.
The day of the week will be displayed in this menu.
Menu PZF STAT
Information on the decoding of the pseudo-random sequence is available in this menu.
The following content may be displayed:
This message indicates that the system tries to achieve a coarse synchronisation. This
procedure starts after power-up or worse receiption for more than ten seconds. If the
coarse synchronisation was successfull, the receiver enters the state of fine-correlation.
The system tries to lock the received PZF as exact as possible to generate a precise time
frame. The display shows the correlation coefficient at the end of each second, which can
be up to 100%. A high value for the coefficient should be achieved by choosing a
suitable position for the antenna.
The essential part of the tracking is completed five seconds after "FC: xx%" appeared.
Tracking steps of three microseconds are possible each second until the internal realtime
clock is synchronized (two minutes max.). Afterwards, corrections of the time frame are
executed per minute only. The direction of these steps is displayed by the characters '>' or
'<' behind the digits of the correlation coefficient.
11
Menu FIELD
The digitized field strength is displayed in this menu. There is a logarithmic relation
between this value and the field strength. This menu is useful for mounting the antenna,
like described in chapter 'Assembly of antenna'.
Menu SETUP
The user-specific parameters of the PZF600 are set in this menu. To avoid the erroneous
change of these parameters, it is not possible to enter the submenus just by pressing Set.
The first submenu can be entered not before the Set button is pressed until the character
'*' is displayed behind the text SETUP (> 2sec.) and the Menu key is pressed thereafter.
The following submenus are selectable (Set and Menu are used as usual):
Menu DIST. o. T
The distance to the transmitter is entered in this menu for compensating the propagation
delay of the received pseudo-random code. This setting should be done as exact as
possible because the absolute precision of the time frame is influenced by this value.
After pressing Set a four digit value is displayed (kilometers). By pressing Set again,
the first position is selected (flashing digit). To select the next digit, the Menu must be
pressed, to increment the current digit, Set must be used. When the value is entered
completely, it is stored by pressing Menu until the display returns to the setup submenu.
The km-value is stored in the internal EEPROM of the board.
12
Menu OUTP ENA
This menu defines when the output signals are enabled after powering up the system.
The following settings are possible: output signal generation starts immediately after
reset (always), or the clock has to synchronize first before the signals are enabled (after
sync). This selection can be done separately for the pulse outputs (PLS), the serial
interfaces (SER) and the programmable synthesizer (SYN). After pressing Set the
following content is displayed:
Pushing Set again, the option on the right side starts blinking. Selection of the available
options (alw and asy) is made with Set as well. To make this selection also for the other
output signals, Menu must be pushed once. When this enabling is defined for all output
signals, the configuration ist stored by keeping Set pressed for a while. The sub menu is
displayed again.
Menu SYNTH.
The output frequency of the internal synthesizer is selected in this menu. This can be
done in the range of 1/3Hz to 9.999MHz.
The frequency can be set here and the buttons are used the same way as for setting the
DIST.o.T-value. In addition, the range of the frequency is defined and eiter xxx.xHz,
x.xxxkHz, xx.xxkHz, xxx.xkHz or x.xxxMHz can be selected. In the first range (Hz)
only the fractional digits 1/3Hz, 0.5Hz and 2/3Hz are accepted. After the frequency is
entered the value becomes valid and is stored in the battery buffered RAM just after the
Menu-button is pressed a longer time. Note: the sinewave output of the synthesizer
provides an acceptable output signal not above 100kHz.
Menu TIME REF
The displayed timezone can be set in this menu. Possible selections are:: UTC, MEZ/
MESZ and MEZ (without daylight saving).
13
Menu PAR.COMx
The four menus PAR.COM0 to PAR.COM3 allow the configuration of the serial
RS232 ports COM0 to COM3.
The following settings are possible:
Baudrate: 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 and 19200 Baud
Framing: 7N2, 7E1, 7E2, 8N1, 8N2, 8E1, 7O1, 7O2 and 8O1
Menu SER.MODE
The four serial ports COM0 to COM3 are able to send out time strings in three different
output modes. After the Set button is pressed the following content is displayed:
The four letters on the right side represent the output mode of the serial ports COM0,
COM1, COM2 and COM3 (from the left to the right). With another brief push of the Set
button the first letter starts to blink and can be set to one of the following options now:
'S' timestring starts with a new second
'M' timestring starts with a new minute
'R' timestring starts just after sending an ASCII '?' (3F hex) to the clock
Menu STR.COMx
The four menus STR.COM0 to STR.COM3 allow the selection of the serial time string
formats for COM0, COM1, COM2 and COM3.
The following time strings can be selected:
- MBG - Meinberg Standard String
- Uni Erlangen String
- ATIS String
- Sysplex String
- SAT String
- SPA String
- CompuTime String
14
Menu IRIG
This menu allows to select an IRIG, AFNOR or IEEE1344 timecode to be generated.
Besides the amplitude modulated sine wave signal, the PZF600 also provides an
unmodulated DC-Level Shift TTL output in parallel. Thus six time codes are available.
a) B002: 100pps, PWM DC signal, no carrier
BCD time-of-year
b) B122: 100pps, AM sine wave signal, 1 kHz carrier frequency
BCD time-of-year
c) B003: 100pps, PWM DC signal, no carrier
BCD time-of-year, SBS time-of-day
d) B123: 100pps, AM sine wave signal, 1 kHz carrier frequency
BCD time-of-year, SBS time-of-day
e) AFNOR: Code according to NFS-87500, 100pps,
AM-Sine wave signal, 1kHz carrier frequency,
BCD time-of-year, complete date, SBS time-of-day,
Signal level according to NFS-87500
f) IEEE1344: Code according to IEEE1344-1995, 100pps,
AM sine wave signal, 1kHz carrier frequency,
BCD time-of-year, SBS time-of-day, IEEE1344
extensions for date, timezone, daylight-saving
and leap second in control functions (CF) segment.
also see table 'Assignment of CF segment in IEEE1344 mode'
Menu IRIG REF
This menu lets the user select a timezone for the timecode generation.
15
Menu OSZ.ADJ.
The standard version of the PZF600 includes a voltage controlled temperature compensated oszillator (TCXO). Its nominal frequency of 10MHz is adjusted by using two
digital-to-analog converters (DACs). One of them is responsible for the coarse tuning
and the other one for the fine adjustment of the oszillator.
The value for the coarse-DAC is settable in this menu (range: 0...65535).
Changes in this menu should be done by MEINBERG, only!
Menu DAC CLR
The value of the fine DAC is displayed in this submenu.
If the Set button is pressed for approximately two seconds, the DAC is set to its mid-scale
value and the difference to its last value is added to the coarse DAC proportional. This
process is released automatically if the value of the fine DAC exceeds its limits
(0...4095).
This action is reserved for service purposes by MEINBERG, only!
Menu SER. No.
The 12-digit serial number of the PZF600 is displayed in this menu. This number is
helpful to know if the user asks Meinberg for support.
The most significant eight digits of the serial number are displayed first, after pressing the
Set button the last four digits are shown.
16
Asynchronous serial interfaces
Four independant serial RS232 interfaces are available at the rear connector of the
PZF600. As set in menu SER.MODE, the serial ports can send a time string either once
per second, once per minute or on request only by sending an ASCII '?' (3F hex) to the
clock. Additional menus are used to set the framing and baudrate of these interfaces as
well as the format of the time string. The structure of the strings are described in the
chapter "Time Strings".
Pulse outputs
TTL-low and TTL-high active pulses per minute and per second are generated by the
PZF600, which are available at the VG-connector.
Corresponding to the settings made in the menu OUTP ENA, the pulses are generated
either immediately after power up or not until the first synchronisation of the receiver
occurs.
Standard frequencies
The PZF600 provides four standard frequencies. The outputs 100kHz, 155kHz, 1MHz
and 10MHz are derived from the main oszillator of the clock which is phase locked to the
DCF-system by a digital PLL (phase locked loop). The temperature-dependant drift and
the aging of the oszillator can be compensated by this procedure. Therefore the excellent
short-term stability of the standard frequencies of +/- 5·10
TCXO) is achieved. The value for regulating the digital-to-analog converter of the PLL
is avilable directly after reset because it is stored in the battery-backed RAM of the clock.
If the DCF-transmitter fails, the oszillator is controled by this value also. The accuracy of
the standard frequencies will not be worse than 1·10
-8
therefore.
-9
(standard version with
for one hour without receition
17
Frequency synthesizer
The synthesizer of the PZF600 generates a frequency in the range of 1/3Hz up to
9.999MHz, which can be set in the menu SYNTH. The synthesizer-output is available
with TTL-level, as a sinewave signal or an open drain output at the VG-connector.
However, the sine wave output generates an acceptable output signal up to 100kHz,
only.
The frequency to be generated can be adjusted by giving the four digits of highest-order,
lower significant digits are set to zero. Only the fractions 1/3Hz, 0.5Hz and 2/3Hz are
allowed in the Hertz-range, so frequencies of 1/3Hz or 2/3Hz lead to a periodic fraction,
often used by ripple control systems.
Up to 10kHz the synthesizer is phase-locked to the pulse per second. The accuracy of
this frequency reaches the accuracy of the standard frequencies therefore. Higher
frequencies than 10kHz have a maximum error of +/- 2,35 mHz.
Corresponding to the settings made in the menu OUTP ENA, the synthesizer
frequency is generated either immediately after power up or not until the first
synchronisation of the receiver occurs.
Timecode
Abstract
The transmission of coded timing signals began to take on widespread importance in
the early 1950´s. Especially the US missile and space programs were the forces behind
the development of these time codes, which were used for the correlation of data. The
definition of time code formats was completely arbitrary and left to the individual ideas of
each design engineer. Hundreds of different time codes were formed, some of which
were standardized by the "Inter Range Instrumentation Group" (IRIG) in the early 60´s.
Except these "IRIG Time Codes", other formats like NASA36, XR3 or 2137 are still
in use. The board PZF600 however generates the IRIG-B, AFNOR NFS 87-500 code
as well as IEEE1344 code which is an IRIG-B123 code extended by information for
time zone, leap second and date.
18
Block Diagram Timecode
modulated timecode
driver
50 unbalanced
D/A converter
modulator
high- and low-active
unmodulated timecodes
timecode
microcontroller
digital
sinewave
EPLD
generator
PPS
10 MHz
19
IRIG Standard Format
x 3x
IRIB-B : 1000 Hz
binary 0 binary 1
TYPICAL MODULATED CARRIER IRIG-A : 10000 Hz
20
AFNOR Standard Format
21
Assignment of CF Segment in IEEE1344 Code
B it N r. B e deutung B e s c hre ibung
49 Po sition Ide ntifier P 5
50 Year BCD encoded 1
51 Year BCD encoded 2
unteres Nib ble des BCD codierten Jahres
52 Year BCD encoded 4
53 Year BCD encoded 8
54 empty, always zero
55 Year BCD encoded 10
56 Year BCD encoded 20
oberes Nibble des BCD codierten Jahres
57 Year BCD encoded 40
58 Year BCD encoded 80
59 P osition Identifier P6
60 LSP - Leap Second Pending bis zu 59s vor Schaltsekunde gesetzt
61 LS - Le a p S e c o nd 0 = L S einfügen, 1 = LS lö sc hen
1.)
62 DS P - Da ylight Sa ving Pe nd ing b is zu 59 s vor S Z/WZ U msc ha ltung gese tzt
63 DS T - Da ylight Sa ving Time ges et zt wä hre nd S o mmer zeit
64 Timezone Offset Sign Vo rzeichen d es Zeitzonenoffsets 0 = '+', 1 = '-'
65 TZ Offset binary encoded 1
66 TZ Offset binary encoded 2
O ffset d e r I RIG Ze it gege nüb e r U TC
IRI G Z e it P L U S Z e it z o n e n o ffse t ( e in s c h lie ßlic h
67 TZ Offset binary encoded 4
Vo rzeichen ) ergib t immer UTC
68 TZ Offset binary encoded 8
69 P osition Identifier P7
7 0 T Z O f fs e t 0 . 5 h o u r g e s e t z t b e i z usä t zlich e m h a lb s t ü nd ig e n O ffs et
71 TFOM Time figure of merit
72 TFOM Time figure of merit
TF O M gibt d e n ungefäh re n F ehler de r
Ze it q u elle a n
2.)
0x00 = Uhr synchron
73 TFOM Time figure of merit
0 x 0 F = U h r im F r e ila uf
74 TFOM Time figure of merit
75 PA RI TY Pa ritä t aller vo ra nge gan gene n Bits
1.)
von d e r F irmw ar e w e rd en nur einge fügte S c haltse k und en ( 59 - > 6 0 - > 0 0 ) unte rs tützt !
2.)
TF O M wird a uf 0 ge se tzt w enn d ie U hr na c h de m Einsc ha lten e inmal synchr onisier en k o nnte , a nd er e
C o d ierunge n we rd e n vo n de r F irmw a re nicht unte rs tüzt. s.a. Auswahl des generierten Zeitcodes.
22
DC and AM Timecodes
DC-Level Shift Codes (PWM-signal) B00x and modulated sine wave carrier B12x are
always generated simultaneously. Both signals are provided at the VG64-Connector, i.e.
if code B132 is selected per menu, also code B002 is available. This applies for the codes
AFNOR NFS 87-500 and IEEE1344 as well.
The TFOM field in IEEE1344 code is set dependent on the 'already sync'ed' character
('#') which is sent in the serial time telegram. This character is set, whenever the
preconnected clock was not able to synchronize after power up reset. The 'time figure of
merit' (TFOM) field is set as follows.
Clock synchronized once after power up : TFOM = 0000
Clock not synchronized after power up : TFOM = 1111
Sine Wave AM Output
The amplitude-modulated carrier is available at the VG-connector pin 14a. The carrier
frequency is 1kHz (IRIG-B). The signal amplitude is 3Vpp (MARK) and 1Vpp (SPACE)
into 50 Ω. The encoding is made by the number of MARK-amplitudes during ten carrier
waves with the following agreements:
a) binary "0" : 2 MARK-amplitudes, 8 SPACE-amplitudes
b) binary "1" : 5 MARK-amplitudes, 5 SPACE-amplitudes
c) position-identifier : 8 MARK-amplitudes, 2 SPACE-amplitudes
PWM DC Output
The pulse width modulated DC signals shown in the diagramms "IRIG" and "AFNOR
standard format" are coexistent to the modulated output and is available at the VG
connector pin 13a with TTL level.
DCF77 Emulation
The correlation receiver PZF600 generates TTL level time marks (active HIGH) which
are compatible with the time marks spread by the German long wave transmitter DCF77.
This long wave transmitter installed in Mainflingen near Frankfurt/Germany transmits
the reference time of the Federal Republic of Germany: time of day, date of month and
day of week in BCD coded second pulses. Once every minute the complete time
information is transmitted. The PZF600 generates time marks representing always the
23
DCF-time including announcement of changes in daylight saving and announcement of
leap seconds, changing the timezone in the setup menu has no effect on the generation.
The coding sheme is given below:
P
8
3
M
4
Kalenderjahr
Kalender-
monat
Wochentag
Kalendertag
0
0
2
0
1
0
8
4
2
1
1
0
50
8
4
2
1
4
2
1
40
0
2
0
1
8
4
2
1
0
30
2
0
P
2
0
1
Stunde
P
8
1
1
4
2
Kodierung
nach Bedarf
10
R
A
1
Z
1
Z
2
20
A
2
S
1
2
4
8
1
2
0
4
0
Minute
0
M Minutenmarke (0.1 s)
R Aussendung über Reserveantenne
A1 Ankündigung Beginn/Ende der Sommerzeit
Z1, Z2 Zonenzeitbits
Z1, Z2 = 0, 1: Standardzeit (MEZ)
Z1, Z2 = 1, 0: Sommerzeit (MESZ)
A2 Ankündigung einer Schaltsekunde
S Startbit der codierten Zeitinformation
P1, P2, P3 gerade Paritätsbits
Time marks start at the beginning of new second. If a binary "0" is to be transmitted, the
length of the corresponding time mark is 100 msec, if a binary "1" is transmitted, the time
mark has a length of 200 msec. The information on the current date and time as well as
some parity and status bits can be decoded from the time marks of the 15th up to the 58th
second every minute. The absence of any time mark at the 59th second of a minute
signals that a new minute will begin with the next time mark. The DCF emulation output
is enabled immediately after power-up.
Realtime clock
The PZF600 includes a battery-backed realtime clock which runs crystal-precise in case
of power failure. A relativ accurate time is present immediately after power-up this way.
An additional RAM of the realtime clock is used to store important system parameters.
TIME_SYN output
This output is set to TTL-high if the receiver is in synchronous state (LED 'Free'
switched off). The output level changes to TTL-low if the receiver is in asynchronous
state for more than one hour. The TIME_SYN output is available at the VG-connector
and can be used to release an alarm, for example.
24
Firmware updates
Whenever the on-board software must be upgraded or modified, the new firmware can
be downloaded to the internal flash memory via the serial port COM0. There is no need
to remove the board to insert a new EPROM.
If both buttons Menu and Set in the front panel are pressed concurrently or the pin
'/BOOT' at the blade-connector strip is held at TTL-low level while the system is
powered up, a bootstrap-loader is actived and waits for instructions from the serial port
COM0. The new firmware can be sent to PZF600 from any standard PC with serial
interface. A loader program will be shipped together with the file containing the image of
the new firmware. The process is independently from the content of the program
memory, therefore it is possible to start this action again in case of a failure.
Replacing the lithium battery
The life time of the lithium battery on the board is at least 10 years. If the need arises to
replace the battery, the following should be noted:
ATTENTION!
Danger of explosion in case of inadequate replacement
of the lithium battery. Only identical batteries or batte-
ries recommended by the manufacturer must be used for
replacement. The waste battery must be disposed as
proposed by the manufacturer of the battery.
CE Label
This device conforms to the directive 2004/108/EG on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States of the European
Community relating to electromagnetc compatibility.
25
Technical specifications
RECEIVER: Two seperate receiver channels for signal conversion and best
aquisition and tracking of the DCF77 signal.
Reception via external ferrite antenna AW02.
CONTROL OF
RECEPTION: The DCF-signal is checked for minimum field strength by micro-
processor. The result is indicated by LED.
In addition, the value of the digitized field strength is displayed in
menu 'FIELD'.
BATTERYBACKUP: In case of power failure an internal realtime clock runs crystal-
precise. Important parameters are stored in the system-RAM.
Life time of lithium battery: 10 years minimum
Option: backup capacitor for about 150 hours
DISPLAY: Eight-digit alphanumeric display shows important time and status
information. Digit-height 5mm.
INTERFACES: Four independent RS232 ports
BAUD RATES: 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 or 19200 Baud
FRAMING: 7N2, 7E1, 7E2, 8N1, 8N2, 8E1, 7O1, 7O2 or 8O1
PULSE
OUTPUTS: Active-high and active-low pulses per minute and per second,
TTL-level, pulse duration: 200ms
ACCURACY
OF PULSES: Time delay of two systems PZF600 with a maximum distance of
50km: typ. 20µs, max. 50µs
Time shifting of successive pulses: max. 1.5µs
PROPAGATIONTIME
COMPENSATION:The signal delay is compensated if the distance of the receiver to
the transmitter is given.
26
STANDARD
FREQUENCIES: 100kHz, 155kHz, 1MHz and 10MHz are synchronized to DCF
by a digital PLL.
For accuracy refer to table "Oscillator Types".
SYNTHESIZER: Frequency range: 1/3Hz...9,999MHz
Accuracy: < 10kHz: refer to table "Oscillator Types"
> 10kHz: +/- 2,35mHz max.
Phase jitter: max. 60ns
SYNTHESIZEROUTPUTS: F_SYNTH: TTL-level
F_SYNTH_OD: Open Drain
Max. drain-source-voltage: 100 V
Max. drain-current: 100 mA
Dissipation power, 25° C: < 360 mW
F_SYNTH_SIN: Sinewave
Output voltage: 1.5 V eff.
Output impedance: 200 Ohm
TIMECODEOUTPUTS: AM: Unbalanced AM-sine wave-signal:
3VPP (MARK) / 1VPP (SPACE) into 50Ω
DC: PWM signal, TTL, high active
TIME_SYN
OUTPUT: TTL-level, logical-high if receiver is synchronous
TERMINAL
CONNECTION: Blade-connector strip VG64, DIN 41612
Sub-miniatur coaxial HF-connector (SMB)
BOARD
DIMENSIONS: Eurocard size 100mm x 160mm, Epoxy 1,5mm
Front panel 12TE (61mm)
ANTENNA: Ferrite antenna in plastic housing (AW02)
HUMIDITY: Relativ humidity 85% max.
TEMPERATURE
RANGE: 0 ... 50°C
POWER
SUPPLY: + 5V, 230mA
27
PZF600 with different oscillator options
The correlation receiver PZF600 can be equipped with several different oscillator types.
Compared with the standard version (TCXO) the accuracy specifications are changed as
given in the following table:
OXCTOXCT
OXCTOXCT QLOXCOQLOXCO
OXCT
τ ces1=
ytilibatsmrettrohs
nureerfycarrucca
yadeno
nureerfycarrucca
raeyeno
esionesahp
C°52taylppusrewop
etatsydaets
pumraw
nureerf
tfirdtnadnepederutarepmet
sepyTrotallicsO:1elbaTsepyTrotallicsO:1elbaT
sepyTrotallicsO:1elbaTsepyTrotallicsO:1elbaT
sepyTrotallicsO:1elbaT
9-E01*49-E01*201-E01*411-E01*2
7-E01*1-/+
)1etoN(zH1-/+
6-E01*1-/+
)1etoN(zH01-/+
zH1
zH01
zH001
zHk1
zH/cBd06zH/cBd09-
zH/cBd021zH/cBd031-
Am02/V5+
A/N
6-E01*1-/+
)C°07...02-(
zH1
zH01
zH001
zHk1
QLOXCOQLOXCO QMOXCOQMOXCO
QLOXCO
8-E01*2-/+
)1etoN(zH2.0-/+
7-E01*4-/+
)1etoN(zH4-/+
zH/cBd06zH/cBd09-
cBd021-
zH/
zH/cBd031-
Am061/V5+
Am083/V5+
7-E01*2-/+
)C°06...0(
zH1
zH01
zH001
zHk1
zH1-/+=zHM01*7-E01*1-/+si)yadenonureerf(OXCTfoycarruccA
QMOXCOQMOXCO QHOXCOQHOXCO
QMOXCO
9-E01*5,1-/+
)1etoN(zHm51-/+
7-E01*1-/+
)1etoN(zH1-/+
zH/cBd57-
zH/cBd011zH/cBd031zH/cBd041-
Am09/V5+
Am033/V5+
8-E01*5-/+
)C°07...02-(
:elpmaxeroF.zHM01foycneuqerfdradnatsehtnodesabsiztreHniycarruccaehT
QHOXCOQHOXCO
QHOXCO
01-E01*5-/+
)1etoN(zHm5-/+
8-E01*5-/+
)1etoN(zH5.0-/+
zH1
zH01
zH001
zHk1
zH/cBd59-
zH/c
Bd521-
zH/cBd541zH/cBd551-
Am061/V5+
Am006/V5+
8-E01*1-/+
)C°07...5(
28
Time Strings
Format of the Meinberg Standard Time String
The Meinberg Standard Time String is a sequence of 32 ASCII characters starting with
the STX (start-of-text) character and ending with the ETX (end-of-text) character. The
format is:
<STX>D:dd.mm.yy;T:w;U:hh.mm.ss;uvxy<ETX>
The letters printed in italics are replaced by ASCII numbers whereas the other characters
are part of the time string. The groups of characters as defined below:
<STX> Start-Of-Text (ASCII code 02h)
dd.mm.yy the current date:
dd day of month (01..31)
mm month (01..12)
yy year of the century (00..99)
w the day of the week (1..7, 1 = Monday)
hh.mm.ss the current time:
hh hours (00..23)
mm minutes (00..59)
ss seconds (00..59, or 60 while leap second)
uv clock status characters (depending on clock type):
u: ‘#’ GPS: clock is running free (without exact synchr.)
DCF77: clock has not synchronized after reset
‘ ‘ (space, 20h)
GPS: clock is synchronous (base accuracy is reached)
DCF77: clock has synchronized after reset
v: ‘*’ GPS: receiver has not checked its position
DCF77: clock currently runs on XTAL
‘ ‘ (space, 20h)
GPS: receiver has determined its position
DCF77: clock is syncronized with transmitter
x time zone indicator:
‘U’ UTC Universal Time Coordinated, formerly GMT
‘ ‘ MEZ European Standard Time, daylight saving disabled
‘S’ MESZ European Summertime, daylight saving enabled
y anouncement of discontinuity of time, enabled during last hour
before discontinuity comes in effect:
‘!’ announcement of start or end of daylight saving time
‘A’ announcement of leap second insertion
‘ ‘ (space, 20h) nothing announced
<ETX> End-Of-Text (ASCII code 03h)
29
Format of the Uni Erlangen String (NTP)
The time string Uni Erlangen (NTP) is a sequence of 66 ASCII characters starting with
the STX (start-of-text) character and ending with the ETX (end-of-text) character. The
format is:
<STX>tt.mm.jj; w; hh:mm:ss; voo:oo; acdfg i;bbb.bbbbn lll.lllle hhhhm<ETX>
The letters printed in italics are replaced by ASCII numbers whereas the other characters
are part of the time string. The groups of characters as defined below:
<STX> Start-Of-Text, ASCII Code 02h
sending with one bit occuracy at change of second
dd.mm.yy the current date:
dd day of month (01..31)
mm month (01..12)
yy year of the century (00..99)
w the day of the week (1..7, 1 = Monday)
hh.mm.ss the current time:
hh hours (00..23)
mm minutes (00..59)
ss seconds (00..59, or 60 while leap second)
v sign of the offset of local timezone related to UTC
oo:oo offset of local timezone related to UTC in hours and minutes
ac clock status characters:
a: ‘#’ clock has not synchronized after reset
‘ ‘ (space, 20h) clock has synchronized after reset
c: ‘*’ GPS receiver has not checked its position
‘ ‘ (space, 20h) GPS receiver has determined its position
d time zone indicator:
‘S’ MESZ European Summertime, daylight saving enabled
‘ ‘ MEZ European Standard Time, daylight saving disabled
f anouncement of discontinuity of time, enabled during last hour
before discontinuity comes in effect:
‘!’ announcement of start or end of daylight saving time
‘ ‘ (space, 20h) nothing announced
g anouncement of discontinuity of time, enabled during last hour
before discontinuity comes in effect:
‘A’ announcement of leap second insertion
‘ ‘ (space, 20h) nothing announced
30
i leap second insertion
‘L’ leap second is actually inserted
(active only in 60th sec.)
‘ ‘ (space, 20h) no leap second is inserted
The following information regarding the receiver position is set to zero
because receiver does not support this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
bbb.bbbb latitude of receiver position in degrees
leading signs are replaced by a space character (20h)
n latitude, the following characters are possible:
‘N’ north of equator
‘S’ south d. equator
lll.llll longitude of receiver position in degrees
leading signs are replaced by a space character (20h)
e longitude, the following characters are possible:
‘E’ east of Greenwich
‘W’ west of Greenwich
hhhh altitude above sea level in meters
leading signs are replaced by a space character (20h)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<ETX> End-Of-Text, ASCII Code 03h
31
Format of the ATIS standard Time String
The ATIS standard Time String is a sequence of 23 ASCII characters terminated by a
CR (Carriage Return) character. The format is:
<GID><ABS><TSQ><CC><CS><ST>yymmddhhmmsswcc<GID><CR>
The letters printed in italics are replaced by ASCII numbers whereas the other characters
are part of the time string. The groups of characters as defined below:
<GID> Address of the receiver code 7Fh
<ABS> Originator of message ASCII '0' code 30h
<TSQ> Telegram number ASCII '0' code 30h
<CC> Command code ASCII 'S' for SET code 53h
<CS> Command code ASCII 'A' for ALL code 41h
<ST> Time status ASCII 'C' for valid time code 43h
yymmdd the current date:
yy year of the century (00..99)
mm month (01..12)
dd day of month (01..31)
hh:mm:ss the current time:
hh hours (00..23)
mm minutes (00..59)
ss seconds (00..59, or 60 while leap second)
w the day of the week (1..7, 1 = 31h = Monday)
cc checksum in hex, built from all characters including GID, ABS,
TSQ, CC, ST, ...
<CR> Carriage Return, ASCII code 0Dh
Default RS232 Settings:
Baudrate: 2400 Bd, Framing: 7E1
32
Format of the SYSPLEX-1 Time String
The SYSPLEX1 time string is a sequence of 16 ASCII characters starting with the SOH
(Start of Header) ASCII controll character character and ending with the LF (line feed,
ASCII Code 0Ah) character. The format is:
<SOH>ddd:hh:mm:ssq<CR><LF>
The letters printed in italics are replaced by ASCII numbers whereas the other characters
are part of the time string. The groups of characters as defined below:
<SOH> Start of Header (ASCII control character)
ddd day of year (001..366)
hh:mm:ss the current time:
hh hours (00..23)
mm minutes (00..59)
ss seconds (00..59, or 60 while leap second)
q Quality indicator (space) Time Sync (GPS lock)
(?) no Time Sync (GPS fail)
<CR> Carriage-return (ASCII code 0Dh)
The start bit of carriage-return is transmitted synchronous with the
rising edge of the PPS pulse.
<LF> Line-feed (ASCII code 0Ah)
33
Format of the SAT Time String
The SAT Time String is a sequence of 29 ASCII characters starting with the STX (startof-text) character and ending with the ETX (end-of-text) character. The format is:
<STX>dd.mm.yy/w/hh:mm:ssxxxxuv<CR><LF><ETX>
The letters printed in italics are replaced by ASCII numbers whereas the other characters
are part of the time string. The groups of characters as defined below:
<STX> Start-Of-Text, ASCII Code 02h
sending with one bit accuracy at change of second
dd.mm.yy the current date:
dd day of month (01..31)
mm month (01..12)
yy year of the century (00..99)
w the day of the week (1..7, 1 = Monday)
hh:mm:ss the current time:
hh hours (00..23)
mm minutes (00..59)
ss seconds (00..59, or 60 while leap second)
xxxx time zone indicator:
‘UTC‘ Universal Time Coordinated, formerly GMT
‘MEZ‘ European Standard Time, daylight saving disabled
‘MESZ’ European Summertime, daylight saving enabled
u clock status characters:
‘#’ clock has not synchronized after reset
‘ ‘ (space, 20h) clock has synchronized after reset
v announcement of discontinuity of time, enabled during last hour
before discontinuity comes in effect:
‘!’ announcement of start or end of daylight saving time
‘ ‘ (space, 20h) nothing announced
<CR> Carriage Return, ASCII Code 0Dh
<LF> Line Feed, ASCII Code 0Ah
<ETX> End-Of-Text, ASCII Code 03h
34
Format of the SPA Time String
The SPA Time String is a sequence of 32 ASCII characters starting with the characters
">900WD" and ending with the <CR> (Carriage Return) character. The format is:
>900WD:yy-mm-tt_hh.mm;ss.fff:cc<CR>
The letters printed in italics are replaced by ASCII numbers whereas the other characters
are part of the time string. The groups of characters as defined below:
yy-mm-tt the current date:
yy year of the century (00..99)
mm month (01..12)
dd day of month (01..31)
_ Space (ASCII code 20h)
hh.mm;ss.fff the current time:
hh hours (00..23)
mm minutes (00..59)
ss seconds (00..59, or 60 while leap second)
fff milliseconds (000..999)
cc Check sum: Exclusive-Or result of all previous characters,
displayed as a HEX byte (2 ASCII characters 0..9 or A..F)
<CR> Carriage Return, ASCII Code 0Dh
35
Format of the Computime Time String
The Computime time string is a sequence of 24 ASCII characters starting with the T
character and ending with the LF (line feed, ASCII Code 0Ah) character. The format is:
T:yy:mm:dd:ww:hh:mm:ss<CR><LF>
The letters printed in italics are replaced by ASCII numbers whereas the other characters
are part of the time string. The groups of characters as defined below:
T Start character
sending with one bit accuracy at change of second
yy:mm:dd the current date:
yy year of the century (00..99)
mm month (01..12)
dd day of month (01..31)
ww the day of the week (01..07, 01 = monday)
hh:mm:ss the current time:
hh hours (00..23)
mm minutes (00..59)
ss seconds (00..59, or 60 while leap second)
<CR> Carriage Return, ASCII Code 0Dh
<LF> Line Feed, ASCII Code 0Ah
36
Menu Quick Reference PZF600
SET
MENU
SET (>2s)
SET
MENU
37
Signal description PZF600
Name Pin Function
GND 32a+c Reference potential
VCC in (+5V) 1a+c +5V power supply
VDD in (+12V) 2a+c +12V power supply, not used by standard
DCF_MARk out 17c DCF77 emulation, TTL, active high
pulse duration: 100ms or 200ms
P_SEC out 6c Pulse per second, TTL-level, active high
/P_SEC out 6a Pulse per second, TTL-level, active low
P_MIN out 8c Pulse per minute, TTL-level, active high
/P_MIN out 8a Pulse per minute, TTL-level, active low
100kHz out 10a 100kHz frequency output, TTL-level
155kHz out 11c 155kHz frequency output, TTL-level
1MHz out 11a 1MHz frequency output, TTL-level
10MHz out 12a 10MHz frequency output, TTL-level
F_SYNTH out 21c Synthesizer frequency, TTL-level
F_SYNTH_OD out 22c Synthesizer frequency, open-drain
F_SYNTH_SIN out 23c Synthesizer frequency, sinewave
Timecode_AM 14a Timecode, amplitude modulated 1kHz sinewave carrier
Timecode_DC 13a Timecode, TTTL-level, active high
COM0 TxD out 26c COM0 RS-232 output
COM0 RxD in 30c COM0 RS-232 input
COM1 TxD out 24c COM1 RS-232 output
COM1 RxD in 29c COM1 RS-232 input
COM2 TxD out 16a COM2 RS-232 output
COM2 RxD in 15a COM2 RS-232 input
COM3 TxD out 18a COM3 RS-232 output
COM3 RxD in 17a COM3 RS-232 input
/BOOT in 4a Input for activating the bootstrap-loader
TIME_SYN out 19c Status output, TTL-level, high if synchronous
/RESET in 9c Input for external RESET
reserved Reserved for future expansions, do not connect
38
Rear Connector Pin assignment
ac
1)V5+(niCCV)V5+(niCCV
2)V21+(niDDV)V21+(niDDV
3
4niLSB/devreser
5devreser
6tuoCES_P/tuoCES_P
7
8tuoNIM_P/tuoNIM_P
9tuo/ni
01tuozHk001
11tuozHM1tuozHk551
21tuozHM01
31CD_edocemiT)lanoitpo(NI_SPP
41MA_edocemiT
51niDxR2MOC
61tuoDxT2MOC
71niDxR3MOCtuoKRAM_FCD
81tuoDxT3MOC
91tuoNYS_EMIT
02
12tuoHTNYS_F
22tuoDO_HTNYS_F
32tuoNIS_HTNYS_F
42tuoDxT1MOC
52
TESER/
62tu
72)lanoitpo(1erutpaC
82)lanoitpo(0erutpaC
92niDxR1MOC
03niDxR0MOC
13
23DNGDNG
39
oDxT0MOC
PZF600- PZF600- E- 19. 04. 11
Loading...