Suggested Attributes for Timing in a Digital Dcs

Harris A. Stover

Abstract:	Sometime in the future, the Defense Communications System (DCS) will predominately employ digital techniques. To be effective, such a system, which employs time division multiplexing of digital signals, must include a system timing capability. This follows because the time relationship of each particular pulse to the other pulses in the same sequential stream is fundamental to interpreting the information contained in each pulse. This time relationship determines the assignment of a particular bit to a particular use and a particular meaning. The loss of proper timing can cause all received information to be meaningless--a totally unacceptable condition. Thus, timing is a function of major importance in a digital military communications system (particularly if encrypted). Fortunately, correct timing is not difficult to achieve in a simple point-to-point digital communications system, and many approaches can provide at least a minimal timing capability in even the most complex digital communications systems. However, some of these approaches are unacceptable for the DCS, and the remaining ones have various degrees of acceptability. To determine the value and effectiveness of the different approaches in satisfying the needs of the DCS, a set of desired attributes is needed against which they can be evaluated. This paper presents a set of suggested attributes for a timing capability for the DCS which must be capable of supporting full-scale warfare in addition to peacetime needs. Reasons for each attribute are given.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 11th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting November 27 - 29, 1979 Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland
Pages:	15 - 29
Cite this article:	Stover, Harris A., "Suggested Attributes for Timing in a Digital Dcs," Proceedings of the 11th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Greenbelt, Maryland, November 1979, pp. 15-29.
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