Meinberg Radio Clocks

Lange Wand 9
31812 Bad Pyrmont, Germany
Phone: +49 (5281) 9309-0
Fax: +49 (5281) 9309-30
https://www.meinbergglobal.com
[email protected]

GNS181PEX: Low Profile GPS / GLONASS / Galileo / BeiDou Clock (PCI

Express)

The board GNS181PEX is designed as a low profile board for computers with PCI Express interface. The
rear slot cover integrates the SMA antenna connector, a BNC connector for modulated time codes, a 9pin
D-SUB male connector and four status LEDs (2mm light pipes). 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 GNS181PEX is delivered including a low profile bracket. You can mount this part instead of the standard
bracket, to run the GNS181PEX in computers with smaller housing (e.g. 1U server).
The integrated GNSS receiver requires an external antenna. It can be configured to use GPS, Galileo,
Beidou and GLONASS. The configuration allows the user to select one of these sources to be used
exclusively or a combination with up to three of these sources:

* GPS

* GLONASS

* BeiDou

* GPS + GLONASS

* GPS + BeiDou

* Galileo

* GPS + Galileo

* Galileo + GLONASS

* Galileo + BeiDou

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* GPS + Galileo + GLONASS

* GPS + Galileo + BeiDou

Key Features
- PCI Express Interface
- 2 time trigger inputs
- Programmable Pulse Outputs Frequency Synthesizer and Time Code Mode
- Memory Mapped I/O time reads for high access rates
- RS-232 interface
- IRIG-B/AFNOR time code outputs
- Plug and Play
- DCF77-simulation
- Antenna connected with up to 70m of coax cable type Belden H155
- Configurable time scale (UTC/local, GPS time, TAI)
- Driver software for all popular operating systems
- Possible usage in mobile applications
- Including 40 dB Multi GNSS L1 antenna, 20m pre-assembled Belden H155 cable and technical
documentation on USB key

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 stratum 0 reference time source for NTP and transforms any machine into a Stratum 1 NTP server
without consuming additional physical space in your server room.

The GNS181PEX 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 drivers package for Windows contains a time adjustment service which runs in the background and adjusts the
Windows system time continuously and smoothly. A monitor program is also included which lets the user check the
status of the device and the time adjustment service, and can be used to modify configurable parameters, if run with

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administrator rights.
The driver packages for Linux and FreeBSD contain a kernel driver which allows the board to be used as a reference
time source for the NTP daemon which is shipped with most Unix-like operating systems. This also turns the computer
into an NTP time server which can also provide accurate time to NTP clients on the network. Some command line tools
can be used to setup configurable parameters and monitor the status of the board.
For usage of the card on other operating systems please contact Meinberg support: [email protected].

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

Satellite receiver for mobile applications:

The GNSS timing board is designed for operating in mobile environments like cars, trains or airplanes. An optimized
active GPS antenna RV-76 with 10 meters coax cable RG-58 for operation in mobile environment is still available.

Characteristics
Type of receiver Combined GPS / Galileo / GLONASS / BeiDou receiver

* Number of channels: 72

* Frequency band: L1

* Standard Precision (GNSS)

Navigation Features The satellite receiver can determine its position under the following conditions:

* an acceleration of up to 5G

* a speed of up to 500 m/s

* an altitude of up to 18,000 meters

Type of antenna 40 dB Multi GNSS L1

Antenna with Integrated Lightning Protection for GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and Beidou
signals

* Frequency Band: 1575.42 ± 10 MHz / 1602-1615 MHz

* Antenna Gain:

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Status info Status info by 4 LED light indicators (2mm light pipes)

* Init - blue: while the receiver passes through the initialization phase

* Nav Solved - green: positioning successfully

* Ant Fail - red: antenna faulty or not connected

* Fail - red: time is not synchronized

Synchronization time Max. 1 minute in normal operation mode, approx.

12 minutes after a cold start (discharged buffer battery)

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 Depends on oscillator option:

Standard: TCXO

Interface Single serial RS-232 interface

Data format of interfaces Baudrate: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 Baud
Data format: 7N2, 7E1, 7E2, 8E1, 8N1, 8N2
Time telegram: [1]Meinberg Standard-Telegram, SAT, Uni Erlangen (NTP), SPA,
NMEA0183 (RMC) or [2]capture-telegramm

Statusbyte Informations about free running mode, daylight savings time and DST pre-switch
anouncement, synchronization since last reset, GMT/UTC time and validity of the
hardware clock data

Unmodulated time code DCLS, TTL into 50 ohm (active high or active low)
output

Modulated time code output IRIG AM sine wave signal:

3Vpp (MARK), 1Vpp (SPACE) into 50 ohm

Generated time codes 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 Funktions Segment
C37.118: Like IEEE1344 - with turned sign bit for UTC-Offset
AFNOR: Code according to NFS-87500, 100pps, AM sine wave signal, 1kHz carrier,
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BCD time of year, complete date, SBS time of day gns181pex
Generated time codes 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 Funktions Segment
C37.118: Like IEEE1344 - with turned 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 events readable via API call or serial port

Electrical connectors SMA connector for antenna

BNC female connector for modulated timecode
9 pin sub D male connector (with standard bracket)

Computer interface Single lane (x1) PCI Express (PCIe) Interface

PCI Express r1.0a compatible

Backup battery type When main power supply fails, hardware clock runs free on quartz basis, almanac data
is stored in RAM
Life time of lithium battery min. 10 years

Board type Low Profile card (68,90 x 150 mm)

Ambient temperature 0 ... 50°C / 32 ... 122°F

Humidity Max. 85%

Warranty Three-Year Warranty

Options Oscillator upgrade:

* OCXO-LQ, -MQ or -HQ (instead of TCXO) for extended Holdover capabilities

(see [3]oscillator table for further details)

RoHS-Status of the product This product is fully RoHS compliant

WEEE status of the product This product is handled as a B2B category product. In order to secure a WEEE
compliant waste disposal it has to be returned to the manufacturer. Any transportation
expenses for returning this product (at its end of life) have to be incurred by the end
user, whereas Meinberg will bear the costs for the waste disposal itself.

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Manual

The english manual is available as a PDF file: [4]Download (PDF)

Links:
[1] https://www.meinbergglobal.com/english/specs/timestr.htm
[2] https://www.meinbergglobal.com/english/specs/capstr.htm
[3] https://www.meinbergglobal.com/english/specs/gpsopt.htm
[4] https://www.meinbergglobal.com/download/docs/manuals/english/gns181pex.pdf

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