● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Rebuilding a 1995 GPS Time Server with Raspberry Pi 5 for NTP
Key points
- A 1995 TrueTime XL-AK GPS time server was 'restomodded'.
- A Raspberry Pi 5 and L1 GNSS HAT were integrated.
- The rebuilt server functions as a stratum 1 NTP time server.
- Chrony was configured for time synchronization and NTP services.
Project Overview
A vintage TrueTime XL-AK GPS time server, originally from 1995, has been modernized. The project involved replacing its internal components with a Raspberry Pi 5 and a GNSS HAT to create a functional stratum 1 NTP time server. This initiative was partly motivated by recent cellular service outages linked to similar time server failures.
Hardware Integration
The rebuild incorporated a Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB RAM, though a 1GB version is sufficient for timing services) and Jimmy Paputto's L1 GNSS HAT. These components were mounted within the original TrueTime XL-AK casing. The existing 16x2 LCD and bicolor LED were repurposed to display time, GPS status, and operational status.
Software Configuration
The Raspberry Pi was set up with Pi OS 'Lite'. The GNSS HAT software was built from source to enable the transfer of NMEA sentences (time and date information) to gpsd and chrony. Chrony was then configured to manage time synchronization and provide NTP services, utilizing the precise timing data from the GNSS HAT.
Purpose and Future Plans
The immediate application for this rebuilt server is to provide time services for VCF Midwest. The long-term goal is to contribute this stratum 1 NTP server to the NTP Pool, making its accurate time available to a wider network.
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Primary sources
GitHub geerlingguy/densitron-lcd GitHub jimmypaputto/gnsshat GitHub ntpsec/ntpsec GitHub geerlingguy/time-pi GitHub docker/docker-installReporting from
A 1995 TrueTime XL-AK GPS time server was rebuilt using a Raspberry Pi 5 and a GNSS HAT to create a stratum 1 NTP time server. This project involved integrating modern components with vintage hardware to provide accurate time services.