Method for creating accurate time-stamped frames sent between computers via a network

A method for creating accurate time-stamped frames sent between computers via a network, comprising the steps of:

• using a global positioning receiver in communication with sending and receiving computers to generate a universal coordinated time reference signal;
• synchronizing clocks associated with the sending and receiving computers, but operating independently of operating system clocks of the sending or receiving computers, with the universal coordinated time reference signal by initializing the clocks with the received universal coordinated time reference signal and over time tracking and averaging the periodically received universal coordinated time reference signal and adjusting the clock to correspond to the universal coordinated time reference signal by altering the voltage applied to a voltage controlled crystal oscillator associated with the clock;
• creating a test frame including a tag having reserved fields for transmit and receive time stamps;
• creating complimentary time information in the reserved transmit and receive time stamp fields;
• replacing the complimentary time information in the transmit time stamp field with a transmit time stamp corresponding to the time on the synchronized clock of the sending computer at the instant the test frame is sent onto the network without intervention of the sending computer's central processing unit;
• and
• automatically attaching a receive time stamp corresponding to the time on the synchronized clock of the receiving computer when the frame was received by the receiving computer to every frame received by the receiving computer.

A method for creating accurate time-stamped frames to be sent between computers via a network, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a universal coordinated time reference signal;
• creating sub-microsecond time values corresponding to a fractionalized universal coordinated time reference signal using a clock operating independently of a computer clock and in direct electronic communication with a universal coordinated time reference signal receiver, wherein the universal coordinated time reference signal and the sub-microsecond time values together represent an absolute time;
• over time, comparing the received universal coordinated time reference signal and the created sub-microsecond time values and adjusting the clock into synchronization with the universal coordinated time reference signal;
• creating a test frame including a tag having reserved fields for transmit and receive time stamps representing the absolute time;
• and
• inserting a transmit time stamp into the reserved transmit time stamp field corresponding to the absolute time the test frame is sent onto the network, without intervention of the computer's central processing unit.