Statistics for quantifying aging in time transfer system delays

Abstract Residual time delays in time transfer systems such as two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTFT), or GPS carrier phase (GPSCP) change over time. A double difference such as TWSTFT—GPSCP provides information on the changes in the relative time delays of the two systems. These changes are referred to as aging or time dispersion. A first difference statistic, RMS time interval error, TIE RMS , provides the RMS time dispersion. The time deviation statistic (TDEV) or a variation on the Allan deviation (ADEV), referred to here as ADEVS, provide information on the nature of the random fluctuations in aging. This paper describes analytical and Monte Carlo techniques used to estimate the aging (time dispersion) from TDEV or ADEVS statistics, and finds that the aging can be more than a factor of four larger than TDEV or ADEVS. The use of ADEVS is recommended over TDEV since it is sensitive to time drift.