Time Server for Control System

[Scada Tom 0]

I have a control system with radios, PLCs (CLX, MLX and SLCs) UPs and a Dell Server running Rockwell Automation FT software. There is an ethernet connection out of the server but its firewalled and controlled by our IT department. I would like to know if anyone has a suggestion for a time source (GPS or atomic clock) I could connect to the server, and set up the server to be the time source for the control system.

[Ken Roach 194]

I've run into this kind of problem a few times and never found a very good solution; either I didn't have permission or budget, or there were problems administering the PCs (all XP workstations, no Domain Controller). Getting time updates to the PLCs is actually the easy part: use the Logix 5000 Clock Update Tool. Getting time into the server is a little harder. I think that the Windows time service can be configured to get time from a simple GPS receiver connected over USB, but I'm not familiar with the configuration.

[a062549 5]

Not sure if I know what your trying to get done,but you can do a little regestry edit (At your own risk of course) to let your PC look at a local server on your internal network of servers. I would start here: I usually try to get my time from the server that I'm doing any logging with. I try to get it to set the time daily, but your application may need more or less than this. Hope ths helps, J

[Ken Roach 194]

I strolled over to a stack of servers belonging to a much bigger and better-funded project than my own and found that they have their own EndRun Technologies TEMPUS LX CDMA Network Time Server. Nice bit of gear if you can afford it.