Sel Arbiter Systems User manual

Date Code 20160628 SEL Application Guide 2016-16
Application Guide Volume VI AG2016-16
Using an Arbiter Systems®Clock to Source
IRIG-B Time to SEL-3610, SEL-3620,
and SEL-3622 Devices
Ben Herrmann
INTRODUCTION
Arbiter Systems®(Arbiter) satellite clocks provide IRIG-B time signals to a variety of devices.
With the proper settings, the SEL-3610 Port Server, SEL-3620 Ethernet Security Gateway, and
SEL-3622 Security Gateway are all capable of synchronization with these clocks. This
application guide outlines the steps necessary to set up time synchronization between an Arbiter
clock and any of these SEL devices. It also describes how to test the connection to ensure proper
operation.
If the Arbiter clock you are using has a GPS lock (e.g. has an attached antenna and has found
satellites), skip to Set Up IRIG-B Settings (after consulting your Arbiter instruction manual to
ensure that proper settings are in place).
SET UP THE ARBITER FOR LOCAL TESTING
To set the time on an Arbiter satellite clock for local testing without a GPS lock (e.g., the clock
has poor reception or no antenna), you need local access to the device. If the device has a front-
panel LCD, ensure that the main EIA-232 port is set up in INTERROGATE mode. Connect a
null modem cable from the main EIA-232 port to a local computer. Use a terminal program, such
as Tera Term or PuTTY, and connect to the device.
Once the device is connected, use the set receiver time command to locally set the time on the
clock. This time is only used if there is no GPS lock. The command, yyyy:mm:dd:hh:mmTS,
and the format are described in Table 1. Note that if the time is set locally, it is cleared when the
device restarts.
Table 1 Date Format
Command Variable Descriptions
yyyy Year
mm Month
dd Day
hh Hour
mm Minute
This sets the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) of the device. You should now be able to set up
the local time offsets on the Arbiter clock. Note that these local time changes will not show up on

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SEL Application Guide 2016-16 Date Code 20160628
the SEL device even if the Arbiter clock is set to send local IRIG-B time; these changes will send
during the IEEE 1344 extension of the time code. The SEL device will use the delivered UTC
time, so setting the Arbiter clock to send local IRIG-B time has no effect. To set up the SEL
devices for the time zone of your choice, consult their corresponding instruction manuals.
SET UP IRIG-B SETTINGS
Once you have configured the Arbiter clock with the proper time settings, set up the IRIG-B
settings. If the device has a front-panel LCD, navigate to IRIG Time Settings. Configure the
device with IRIG-B IEEE 1344 set to ON. This causes the Arbiter clock to send data related to
time quality, daylight-saving time, leap seconds, and local time offset. This setting is critical to
providing time to the SEL device. If the Arbiter device does not have a front-panel LCD, consult
your Arbiter clock instruction manual to determine the correct commands to set the IEEE 1344
extension to ON via a serial connection.
CONNECT THE ARBITER TO THE SEL DEVICE
With the Arbiter clock configured, connect the IRIG-B input of the SEL device to the Arbiter
clock via one of the IRIG-B connectors on the device. If the device is an SEL-3622, ensure that
you use the demodulated signal because the device is unable to decode the modulated signal. The
SEL-3610 or SEL-3620 is able to use either a demodulated or modulated IRIG-B signal as an
input time source.
CONFIGURE THE SEL DEVICE
After connecting the Arbiter clock to the SEL device, connect your local computer to the device.
Log in and navigate to the DATE/TIME page. Select IRIG under Synchronization Settings and
set up IRIG-B offsets as needed. The SEL device will use the configured UTC time of the clock,
regardless of the IRIG-B time-zone settings on the Arbiter clock when IEEE 1344 is enabled.
Click the Set Time Settings button, wait for Date/Time synchronization settings saved to be
shown in the upper left corner of the screen, and then click Sync Now (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 Date/Time Page

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Date Code 20160628 SEL Application Guide 2016-16
The device will deliver an IRIG sync successful message in the upper-left corner of the page.
After 5 seconds, refresh the page. The server time in the upper-right corner of the page should
now show the correct time, including the proper offsets.
CONCLUSION
This application guide describes a process for testing an Arbiter clock with SEL devices. When
set as shown in this application guide, the Arbiter clock properly provides IRIG-B time to the
SEL devices. For more advanced time settings, consult your Arbiter clock manual or the
SEL-3610, SEL-3620, or SEL-3622 instruction manuals for more information on time settings.

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SEL Application Guide 2016-16 Date Code 20160628
© 2016 by Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
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trademark or registered trademark of their respective holders. No
SEL trademarks may be used without written permission.
SEL products appearing in this document may be covered by
U.S. and Foreign patents.
*AG2016-16*