Time Sync Products for Linux/UNIX

Beagle Software offers a series of time sync hardware and software products that work on a Linux and UNIX platforms. More about other platforms.

ClockWatch Client/Server
Time Sync Software for Networks

Accurate common time is important for many networked applications. If a machine is allowed to drift even several seconds away from the common standard, then the timestamp on its files will not agree with time recorded on files written simultaneously on other machines. Time is crucial to many applications, such as data collection, FAX servers, accounting, access control, backup jobs, and real time systems. Security systems and diagnostic functions also depend on accurate time.

In a typical ClockWatch timeserver scenario, one Windows computer is designated the timeserver. It is responsible for getting the exact time from an external timeserver and in answering time requests from clients on the LAN.  Windows workstations can run  a version of ClockWatch Client while Linux or UNIX clients run an NTP client application.  They all talk to the ClockWatch ServerMP to get the time.

ClockWatch ServerMP and Client also support writing to a remote syslog server.

 

ClockWatch Client/Server - Main Page

ClockWatch Enterprise
Network Time Sync Controller

Beagle Software ClockWatch Enterprise provides a central command and control console for keeping an entire enterprise in sync. With full control capabilities over remote client modules, ClockWatch enterprise has central control, monitoring and logging capabilities. Within the control console, you can monitor client status, as well check the time on any client, or update all or an individual client. 

While the central console must reside on a Windows computer, the client portion, the Service Module, is also available for Linux.  Running as a daemon, the Service Module listens for requests from the Enterprise control console. The heartbeat, time monitoring and control functions are supported under Linux.

ClockWatch Enterprise - Main Page

Clock Card
Real Time Clock on a PCI Card

ClockCard PCI has driver source code available for Linux 2.3+. Drivers are also available for Unix. A software development kit (SDK) for ClockCard is also available. Please contact Beagle Software for more information.  

ClockCard - Main Page
ClockCard - Product Guide
ClockCard - Product Index

Star Sync
GPS Receiver

The Star Sync receiver is compatible with the standard NTP distribution (available from www.ntp.org) which is available for most versions of Linux and UNIX. We have tested the receiver under NTP version 4.1 running on Linux 2.4.x (RedHat 8.x) The Star Sync GPS receiver plugs into a serial port and interfaces with the generic GPS NMEA driver included with the standard NTP distribution. Detailed installation instructions are included with Star Sync.

Star Sync - Main Page

Radio Sync
WWVB Receiver

There are a number of low frequency time signals around the world that broadcast accurate time and date information. In North American, the WWVB signal is broadcast from Ft. Collins in Colorado by the NIST on 60kHz. This can be received throughout the lower 48 states of the U.S.A. as well as large parts of Canada and Mexico.  The Radio Sync receiver can decode the signal into a time string usable by NTP. However, the Radio Sync receiver is not directly supported in the the standard NTP distribution.

Note: The Ultralink WWVB receiver (no longer available) is supported in the standard NTP distribution (available from www.ntp.org). The NTP client is available for most versions of Linux and UNIX. We tested the UL325 receiver under NTP version 4.1 running on Linux 2.4.x (RedHat 8.x) Modifications to the NTP source would need to be made to accommodate the different BS2 command set to to use the Radio Sync BS2 receiver with NTP. Contact us for more information.