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https://github.com/martinboller/pi-time

Raspberry PI Stratum 1 NTP server
https://github.com/martinboller/pi-time

gpsd ntp raspberry-pi stratum-1

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Raspberry PI Stratum 1 NTP server

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# pi-time

Raspberry PI Stratum 1 server



# Raspberry Pi Installation script



### Bash script automating the installation of a GPS / PPS Disciplined Stratum-1 Server on the Raspberry Pi (3), 4, or 5 



### Design principles:

  - Dedicated to being a Stratum-1 NTP server

  - Use a GPS Breakout board



### Known issues:

  - None so far

  - Should work on a Pi Zero, but as these have no ethernet cable, and NTP over wireless is less than optimal it's untested

  - May work on a Raspberry Pi 2, haven't tried.



### Latest changes 

#### 2023-12-28 - version 5.01

  - Settings in .env-file

  - ntpstats and logging corrected

  - ntpleapfetch usage in update-leap.service



#### 2023-12-27 - Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) Lite (Debian 12, codename: Bookworm)

  - Version 5 for Raspberry PI OS Lite (64 bit) - Debian 12 (Bookworm)

  - This script will only work with ntpsec and has only been tested on the Debian 12 (Bookworm) version of RaspberryPi OS



#### 2021-12-02 - Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) Lite

  - Tested to work with Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) Lite



#### 2021-12-02 - Bullseye version

  - Version 4.00 now for Debian 11 (Bullseye)

  

#### 2021-12-05 - 1GHz

  - Pinned clock frequency at 1GHz - seems to give best precision, anything below that is -19 instead of -20 at 1GHz



#### 2021-12-10 - config.txt include ntpserver.txt

  - Keeping the original config.txt, only adding include ntpserver.txt



### Installation

Prerequisite: A Raspberry PI 4 or 5 and an SD-CARD

 - Download the latest Raspberry Pi OS Lite here: https://downloads.raspberrypi.org/raspios_lite_armhf/images/raspios_lite_armhf-2021-11-08/2021-10-30-raspios-bullseye-armhf-lite.zip

 - Write the latest Raspberry Pi OS Lite, based on Debian 12 (Bookworm), to a good quality sd-card using rpi-imager, dd or whatever tool you prefer. Using rpi-imager is the easiest option, allowing you to create credentials for initial logon and set hostname

 - Configure the .env to your wishes, do NOT forget to change the SSH Public Key and whether or not to disable the original user (which used to be "pi")

 - Run prep_sd.sh, enter a new hostname for the pi1.

 - Boot the Pi, logon as the credentials created with rpi-imager (this use will be disabled later, if correctly named in .env, I use "ntp" as user)

 - sudo su -

 - run ./install-rpi-stratum1.sh

 - Watch install progress on the tty, and from another SSH session, run *tail -fn1000 /var/log/syslog | grep 'Stratum1 NTP Server'*

 - After reboot the Pi should now provide good time, however give it time :) lots of time to achieve good precision

 - Login with root (if you added your public ssh key to .env). If not login with the user you created earlier with rpi-imager.



1 prep_sd.sh prepares the SD-Card enabling SSH, copies the install script, and changes hostname on the sd-card.



### Hardware

It's easy to find GPS breakout boards for Arduino or Raspberry Pi's on ebay, amazon, and other semi-dubious marketplaces.

However there's also great boards from Adafruit and others.

 - Make sure the board outputs the PPS signal.

 - The serial I/O and PPS _must_ be 3.3v TTL level serial. If it's 5 volt serial, then level shifting is needed, however 

 - some boards can be supplied with 5v and still only outputs 3v3.

 - 5v output will ***kill*** the GPIO on the Raspberry Pi. Start with powering the GPS Board with 3v3 and see if that works.

 - Connect the ground of the GPS module to pin 6 (Ground) of the GPIO header on the Raspberry Pi.

 - Connect either a +5 power input to pin 2 (or pin 4) of the GPIO header (see above for 5v warning), or

 - +3v3 power input to pin 1 (or pin 17) of the GPIO header.

 - Connect the serial input (RXD) of the GPS module to pin 8 of the GPIO header. This is the UART TXD on the Raspberry Pi2.

 - Connect the serial output (TXD) to pin 10 of the GPIO header. This is the UART RXD on the Raspberry Pi2.

 - Connect the PPS signal to pin 12 (GPIO 18) of the GPIO header.



2 When configured with enable_uart=1 in /boot/config.txt. The install-script does this in *configure_pps*.



### GPIO Pinout from raspberrypi.org

drawing



Below is a picture of GPS board I've used several of for exactly this purpose (lucky to buy 7 for a great price).



 ![alt text](./images/gps.png "GPS Ublox7")



## Tips and tricks for troubleshooting

Check syslog for 'finalized installation of stratum-1 server', then at least the script finished, but there should also be a log entry for each routine called (main)

### Follow the log during installation

- tail -fn1000 /var/log/syslog | grep 'Stratum1 NTP Server'

### Verify pps

- dmesg | grep pps

- ppstest /dev/pps0

- ppswatch -a /dev/pps0

### Run gpsd manually (stop gpsd.socket first)

- gpsd -D 5 -N -n /dev/ttyAMA0 /dev/pps0 -F /var/run/gpsd.sock

- systemctl stop gpsd.*

- killall -9 gpsd

Reconfigure gpsd

- dpkg-reconfigure -plow gpsd

### Check GPS reception and ensure that it outputs to NTP

- cgps -s

- gpsmon

- ipcs -m

- ntpshmmon

### Monitoring the ntp daemon

- ntpq -crv -pn

- watch -n 10 'ntpstat; ntpq -p -crv; ntptime;'

- watch -n 10 'hostname -s; echo -----------; ntpstat; ntpq -p -crv; ntptime;'

### or if using Chrony

- watch -n5 'hostname -s; echo --------; chronyc sources -v; chronyc tracking;'

### If HW clock installed

- dmesg | grep rtc

- hwclock --systohc --utc

- hwclock --show --utc --debug

- cat /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/date

- cat /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/time

- cat /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/since_epoch

- cat /sys/class/rtc/rtc0/name

- i2cdetect -y 1

### Update system

- export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive; apt update; apt full-upgrade -y;