Electronics > Repair
Symmetricom NTS-200 Time Server
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MonarkeIV:
I know this topic is 120 days past, but I found a notice from Microsemi that apparently it's the Symmetricom TS2100 which has the Decade Rollover Bug. 

http://www.heoldesign.com/IMG/pdf/heol-tech_note_119_en_r02.pdf

In case the link becomes invalid, I'll also attached the notice file.  :popcorn:
uncle_bob:
Hi

It's a pretty good bet that *any* GPS based gear you buy surplus will have a 1024 week related issue. The problem has been pretty well known for 20 years now. Oddly enough, the only parts I've seen with really good fixes for the issue have come out in the last 5 years or so. Since those are raw GPS module parts, it will take a while for them to get into products. It will then take a while for those products to get into the surplus market.

Bob
MonarkeIV:

--- Quote from: uncle_bob on March 03, 2019, 01:51:43 pm ---Hi

It's a pretty good bet that *any* GPS based gear you buy surplus will have a 1024 week related issue. The problem has been pretty well known for 20 years now.

Bob

--- End quote ---

If this is the case then used GPS units from Spectracom and Symmetricom should be priced much lower on eBay (thinking door stop) than they currently are, considering firmware updates may not be available from Microsemi and Orolia...
uncle_bob:
Hi

Most of these outfits support firmware upgrades over a limited period of time. If you get those sort of fixes for a 5 year period after you purchased the device directly from them, you are doing pretty well. Outfits like Cisco would like you to sign up (and pay for) updates on most of their gear. Survey GPS gear is in the same bucket. Pay them a couple thousand dollars and you can get your four year old device updated to latest revision. Pay them a whole lot more and you can get it upgraded to the current feature set. The days of "free updates forever and ever" are long gone. (If such a thing ever was the case in the past ....).

Bob
edpalmer42:
Another thing that helps give older GPS units a helping hand is that the NTP software running on Windows or Linux can be patched to compensate for a rollover bug.  The Trimble Thunderbolt went through this a couple of years ago.  Once the bug surfaced, it took some months for the fix to work its way through to the publicly released software, but it did happen.

Ed
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