PZF180PEX: Low Profile DCF77 Clock (PCI Express)



The board PZF180PEX is designed as a low profile board for computers with PCI Express interface. The rear slot cover integrates the antenna connector, a BNC connector for modulated time codes, a 9pin D_SUB male connector and two status LEDs. With this standard height bracket you can use the D_SUB connector for I/O signals like RS-232 - PPS and PPM and you can use this interface for firmware updates.

The PZF180PEX will be delivered with a low profile bracket. You can mount this part instead of the standard bracket, to run the PZF180PEX in computers with smaller housing (e.g. 1U server).

Key Features

Warranty Period (Years): 3 RoHS-compliant



Product Description

This PCI Express slot card is the best choice for adding a highly accurate time base to your servers or workstations. It can be used as a reference time source for NTP and transforms any machine into an NTP server without consuming additional physical space in your server room.

The PZF180PEX comes with a truckload of features to enable software developers to overcome the timing limitations of COTS operating systems like Linux or Windows. The powerful and highly functional Meinberg API (Application Programming Interface) delivers an easy to use and portable way of accessing all Meinberg bus level timing devices, including ISA, PCI, PCI-X, PCI Express and USB time synchronization products.

Legacy interfaces like IRIG, 1PPS or serial time strings can be used to connect other equipment to the PCIe slot card and transfer the time base over dedicated cable connections to systems which cannot be synchronized via NTP or other network protocols.

The new Memory Mapped Access feature offers a fast, simple and efficient way of reading the current time with high precision.

The Windows driver package includes a time synchronization service which runs in the background and adjusts the Windows system time continuously and invisibly. This package also includes a monitor program to enable the user to check the status of the device and time adjustment service. If the monitor program is run with administrator rights, it can also be used to modify configurable parameters.

The Linux and FreeBSD driver packages include a kernel driver which allows the product to be used as a reference time source for the NTP daemon included in most Unix-like operating systems. This also allows the computer to be used as an NTP time server to provide accurate time to NTP clients on the network. Some command line tools can be used to modify configurable parameters and monitor the status of the clock in use.

Please contact Meinberg's Support Team for more information on using the card with other operating systems: techsupport@meinberg.de.

The device's serial port is not required for operation but can be used to update the card's firmware, or to provide another computer with the current time via a serial time string.



Characteristics

Receiver Type Quadrature receiver for optimized evaluation of the DCF signals (amplitude and phase modulation)
Status Indicators 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.
Type of Antenna DCF77 outdoor antenna AW02
Synchronization Compared to the former PZF computer clock the PZF180PEX not just provides the capability to evaluate the common amplitude modulated AM signal it is also able to decode the high-precision pseudorandom phase noise. If the PZF signal is disturbed an cannot be received, the PZF180PEX automatically switches over to decode the AM signal, if available, and ensures synchronisation.
Frequency Outputs Frequency output 10 MHz, TTL level
Pulse Outputs 3 Programmable TTL outputs, per default configured as:
Channel 0: Pulse per second (TTL, RS232 level), pulse duration: 200 msec
Channel 1: Pulse per minute (TTL), pulse duration: 200 msec
Channel 2: DCF77 compatible pulses (TTL level), pulse width: 100/200 msec
Accuracy of Pulse Outputs Better than +/- 50μsec after synchronization and 20 minutes of operation.
Interface Single serial RS-232 interface
Serial Time String Output Baudrate: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 Baud
Data format: 7N2, 7E1, 7E2, 8E1, 8N1, 8N2
Time telegram: Meinberg Standard-Telegram, SAT, Uni Erlangen (NTP), SPA, NMEA0183 (RMC) or capture-telegramm
PWM Time Code Output DCLS, TTL into 50 ohm (active high or active low)
AM Time Code Output IRIG AM sine wave signal:
3Vpp (MARK), 1Vpp (SPACE) into 50 ohm
Supported Timecode Formats IRIG B002: 100pps, DCLS signal, no carrier, BCD time-of-year
IRIG B122: 100pps, AM sine wave signal, 1 kHz carrier, BCD time-of-year
IRIG B003: 100pps, DCLS signal, no carrier, BCD time-of-year, SBS time-of-day
IRIG B123: 100pps, AM sine wave signal, 1kHz carrier, BCD time-of-year, SBS time-of-day
IRIG B006: 100 pps, DCLS Signal, no carrier, BCD time-of-year, year
IRIG B126: 100 pps, AM sine wave signal, 1 kHz carrier frequency, BCD time-of-year, Year
IRIG B007: 100 pps, DCLS Signal, no carrier, BCD time-of-year, year, SBS time-of-day
IRIG B127: 100 pps, AM sine wave signal, 1 kHz carrier frequency, BCD time-of-year, year, SBS time-of-day
IEEE1344: Code according to IEEE1344-1995, 100pps, AM sine-wave signal, 1kHz carrier, BCD time-of-year, SBS time-of-day, IEEE1344 expansion for date, time zone, daylight saving and leap second in Control Functions segment
C37.118: Like IEEE1344 - with inverted sign bit for UTC offset
AFNOR: Code according to NFS-87500, 100pps, AM sine-wave signal, 1kHz carrier, BCD time-of-year, complete date, SBS time-of-day
Time-Trigger inputs Resolution: 100 nsec, triggered by falling TTL slope
Time of trigger event readable via computer slot or optional second RS232-interface
Electrical Connectors BNC female connector for antenna
BNC female connector for modulated timecode
9 pin sub D male connector
Computer interface Single lane (x1) PCI Express (PCIe) Interface
PCI Express r1.0a compatible
Backup Battery Type In case of supply voltage failure the on-board RTC keeps the time based on XTAL for more than 150 hours (buffer capacitor)
Optional: lithium backup battery (life time: 10 years)
Board type Low Profile card (68,90 x 150 mm)
Supported Temperature Operational: 0 - 50 °C (32 - 122 °F)
Storage: -20 - 70 °C (-4 - 158 °F)
Supported Humidity Max. 85 % (non-condensing) at 40 °C
Contents of Shipment Scope of supply includes:
- an active ferrite antenna AI01 and 5m of RG174 coaxial cable with BNC connectors.
Optional: AW02 with RG58 and patch cord, other length of cable
- "low profile" bracket
Warranty Three-year warranty
Options Oscillator upgrade: OCXO-LQ, -SQ, -MQ or -HQ (instead of TCXO) for extended Holdover capabilities
(see oscillator comparison table for further details)
RoHS Status of Product This product is fully RoHS-compliant.
WEEE Status of Product This product is handled as a B2B (Business to Business) category product. To ensure that the product is disposed of in a WEEE-compliant fashion, it can be returned to the manufacturer. Any transportation expenses for returning this product (at end-of-life) must be covered by the end user, while Meinberg will bear the costs for the waste disposal itself.


Downloads

Short Info Sheet



Manuals


Please note that only the most recent manual version is available for download. This manual therefore may not be suitable for all product versions.
Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact Meinberg Mail Contact