Introduction to Time and Frequency Measurement

Time is a concept that is integral to daily life, and most people have a sense of what time is. What is perhaps less obvious is how much our society relies on time and frequency technology in a variety of applications and industries, from synchronising telecoms and broadcast signals, to determining location via GPS.

In this course, we will introduce the scientific concept of time and how it is measured and disseminated. We will take a broad overview — it won’t be too technical, so will suit a non-technical audience. However, we hope that it will also serve as a useful ‘big picture’ for those embarking upon, or are relatively new to, working in the field of time and frequency.

The course consists of four modules:

Module 1: Exploring the principles of time and frequency
Module 2: Introducing time scales
Module 3: Time and frequency dissemination
Module 4: Next steps in timekeeping

Learners who successfully complete the course will receive an NPL Certificate of Completion.

This course is the first in a series developed for the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme that will help people to build skills in time and frequency to support the maintenance and innovation required for many sectors of society to function properly.

Learning Outcomes

Be aware of historical developments in the field of time and frequency
Use units of time and frequency correctly
Explain the meaning of the stability, accuracy and resolution of a clock
Understand the role of atomic clocks as time and frequency standards
Understand how a time scale is constructed
Differentiate between commonly used time scales
Understand the need for time and frequency dissemination
Be aware of common dissemination techniques and their defining characteristics
List advantages and disadvantages of different time dissemination techniques
Understand the societal impact of time and frequency measurement and distribution
List examples of time and frequency end users