Abstract :
An integrated, dynamic estimation scheme is applied to the problem of synchronizing precision cesium clocks used to control OMEGA signal transmissions from geographically-remote transmitter stations. A discrete Kalman filter combines models of cesium clock error dynamics with OMEGA phase timing measurements to estimate and control inter-transmitter synchronization offsets (both phase and phase rate) to an accuracy on the order of 1 ??sec rms. Auxiliary algorithms perform OMEGA phase measurement preprocessing, including: compensation for propagation anomalies, reciprocal path phase differencing, automatic outlier rejection, dynamic measurement-quality weighting, and time-correlation modeling. Alternative timing measurements (including: satellite/TV, Loran-C, and portable clock) are utilized, as available, to synchronize the entire transmitter system to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
