Leo,

On 1/9/19 10:10 AM, Leo Bodnar wrote:
> Depends what you call "systematic"...
> 
> I can only speak for Ublox but it is fairly representative of modern (even 
> though its architecture did not change for almost 10 years) GPS chipsets.
> The quantisation runs off internal cheap XO or TCXO that is PLLed to produce 
> MCU core clock that is then phase-accumulation quantised to the current 
> navigation solution target - typically every 1-10Hz.
> Stock Ublox has 26MHz XO/TCXO which is then PLLed by MCU core into system 
> 48MHz clock which runs the Cortex core - including timers - that produce 1PPS 
> TP.
> 
> Somebody measured Ublox 1PPS against the stable timebase and looked at same 
> Ublox reported quantisation correction (ps order of magnitude) and actual 
> error was about 1ns order of magnitude.  This would be unaccounted 
> discrepancy of what Ublox thinks is happening on its 1PPS I/O pin and what is 
> actually there.  This makes analogue delay line correction only viable to 
> that level of accuracy.
> 
> Whether this inaccuracy is the result of a high core PLL phase noise, sloppy 
> quantisation algorithm or hardware I/O drivers is an interesting academic 
> question but won't solve the problem.

Now, what I was talking about was frequency/time-interval counters in
this case, not GPS-chips or GPSDOs. So, your comment seems out of
context in that regard.

However, considering that you have a free-running TCXO, the assignment
of cycle in that clock which is to represent the PPS has a systematic
quantization. The setup is much more complex than a normal counter
setup, so it is otherwise not comparable.

> Ublox core can run off many external clock frequencies from 12 to 40MHz but 
> they all will go through the PLL which makes it pointless to experiment with. 

They better PLL. External clock and steering from the time-product is a
relative straightforward approach if one wants to do that, and then the
PPS quantization will not be as relevant to the steering-loop.

Cheers,
Magnus

> Leo
> 
>> From: Magnus Danielson <[email protected]>
>>
>> Recall that the quantization is really a form of time-stamp value for
>> the channel in it's relation to the time-base. It's a systematic pattern
>> in the time-base clock and it is phase-locked to the time-base phase.
>> ...
> 
>> So, to conclude, the quantization noise that we have is very systematic
>> in its nature,
> 
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