u-blox, a leader in positioning and wireless technologies, has integrated Switzerland's national time standard into its GNSS test laboratory in Thalwil, Switzerland. This collaboration with METAS, the Federal Institute of Metrology, and Switch, the operator of Switzerland's research network, provides u-blox with continuous access to a UTC-traceable reference through an unbroken and documented chain of calibrations. The service uses White Rabbit technology over a fiber-optic network to deliver nanosecond-level time synchronization directly into u-blox's lab, enhancing the validation of GNSS timing receivers.
The integration addresses a critical need in GNSS timing: precise synchronization and validation against trusted UTC references. By having this infrastructure on-site, u-blox can rapidly test new hardware and software releases for timing receivers without relying on external metrology facilities. This also enables long-term stability measurements over weeks or months against a stable UTC-traceable source, which is essential for developing next-generation GNSS timing products.
Samuli Pietilä, Director of Product Line Management for Timing and Infrastructure at u-blox, emphasized the importance of rigorous and traceable validation. "This infrastructure allows us to validate and continuously improve GNSS timing receiver performance directly in our own laboratory against a UTC-traceable reference," he said.
METAS realizes and disseminates UTC(CH), Switzerland's contribution to Coordinated Universal Time. Switch provides the fiber-optic network over which the timing signal is transmitted using White Rabbit, a technology originally developed at CERN for ultra-precise timing in scientific infrastructure. Jacques Morel, Head of the Laboratory Photonics, Time and Frequency at METAS, noted, "This collaboration demonstrates how national metrology infrastructure can support advanced industrial applications requiring highly accurate synchronization, timing precision, and traceable validation against UTC references."
The collaboration highlights Switzerland's precision technology ecosystem, uniting national metrology expertise, optical timing infrastructure, and advanced GNSS technologies. The infrastructure is now operational in u-blox's GNSS laboratory and will support ongoing development and validation activities.
For more information about the companies involved, visit u-blox, METAS, and Switch.
