Time synchronization in a satellite network

A remote device that performs time synchronization with a hub device in a satellite network, the satellite network including the remote device, the hub device and a satellite, the remote device comprising:

• a remote clock oscillator with a relatively low precision;
• a receiver that receives time packets transmitted periodically from the hub device via the satellite, each time packet including a hub real time clock (RTC) value and a hub network clock reference (NCR) value, the hub RTC value representing a value of a hub RTC counter in the hub at a time when the time packet was transmitted to the remote device, the hub NCR value representing a value of a hub NCR counter in the hub at the time when the time packet was transmitted to the remote device, and the hub NCR counter is continuously driven by a hub oscillator having a relatively high precision;
• a remote RTC counter that represents a remote RTC value at the remote device;
• a remote NCR counter that represents a remote NCR value at the remote device, the remote RTC counter and the remote NCR counter are each driven by clock signals derived from the remote clock oscillator;
• and
• processing circuitry that
• extracts the hub RTC value and the hub NCR value from a current time packet,
• compares contents of the current time packet with contents of a previously received time packet, and
• adjusts the remote RTC counter based on the result of the comparison to synchronize the remote RTC value at the remote device with the hub RTC value.

A system for time synchronization in a satellite network, the system comprising:

• a hub device that includes
• a hub real time clock (RTC) counter that is time synchronized to a master clock;
• a hub network clock reference (NCR) counter that is continuously driven by a hub clock oscillator having a relatively high precision;
• processing circuitry that periodically generates a time packet, the time packet including a hub RTC value of the hub RTC counter and a hub NCR value of the hub NCR counter;
• and
• a transmitter that transmits, via a satellite, the generated time packet to a remote device;
• and
• the remote device that includes
• a remote clock oscillator with a relatively low precision;
• a receiver that receives the periodically generated time packets from the hub device via the satellite;
• a remote RTC counter that represents a remote RTC value at the remote device;
• a remote NCR counter that represents a remote NCR value at the remote device, the remote RTC counter and the remote NCR counter are each driven by clock signals derived from the remote clock oscillator;
• and
• processing circuitry that
• extracts the hub RTC value and the hub NCR value from a current time packet received by the receiver;
• compares contents of the current time packet with contents of a previously received time packet;
• and
• adjusts the remote RTC counter based on the result of the comparison to synchronize the remote RTC value at the remote device with the hub RTC value.