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as some of you know i been working on a GPS clock. it is mostly done with the exceptions of a few bugs that are still being worked out. i brought it to work one day and was not able to get a signal because of our steel roof
anyway i started to think of ways to make another kind of clock that could work indoors.
i was thinking if it was possible to get time from the wifi in the building?
i have heard of some clocks get time from Ethernet or so i think.
does anyone know what i am thinking of and how i could make it happen ?
i was looking at using a ESP8266 micro wifi module, arduino or such, and my display.
perhaps i may use a 2 line led module to show time and date.
and of course i will use larger led displays as i always like to do..lol
any ideas anyone ? i'll try to post on the arduino site as well..

Time from WIFI itself, No.

That WIFI provides a wireless network connection, and there can be a time server on the network, or the network can connect to the Internet where there are many time servers based on atomic clocks; then Yes you can get time over WIFI.

In addition to TCP/IP stack (software) for your microcontroler, you'll need Network Time Protocol (NTP) or other network time software.

so NTP is not naturally on the router or wifi ?
if that is so, then i'll have to think something else.

what about getting time from a cell tower ? after all all cell phones are accurate..
perhaps using a old cell phone ? any ideas? or is that too difficult ?

How long would the coax have to be to use a separate GPS antenna outside? Or longer serial connection from GPS unit with veiw of sky to clock? (If more than 15-20ft, then RS-422 would work better than RS-232).

length would be about 50ft.
how would i go about changing the serial type ? and still get power to the GPS ?
serial converter and cat5 ?

i found this today,,,maybe i can learn this..
have to get a different arduino than i have now...

http://blog.riyas.org/2014/03/a-simple- ... nners.html

You're getting power over RS-232 connection??????????????

At 50ft, with good guality RG-52, you could move just the antenna.

nope, my gps gets power directly from control board... power plus serial ( 5V - Gnd - TX - RX )

Have you thought about using a RTC unit and using the GPS to update the RTC? That way, it would keep time when there is little to no signal.

CeaSaR

well the GPS has a RTC, but i do not know how to activate it.. right now if i plug the clock in, there is no RTC, just 88:88:88 til the GPS catches the signal..

the GPS i am using is like this.. "gy-gps6mv2"
http://kitsguru.com/index.php?route=pro ... uct_id=440

Dac,
I found this link:
http://www.amateurradio.com/cheap-gps-module/
which has some info you may need. There is a text link to the GPS board schematic shown with the ubiquitous " click here".

I don't see any RTC listed on that board, just the 1 pps pin (TIMEPULSE) that drives the LED. Since I am unsure of how this board fully functions, this is what I can give you at the moment.

CeaSaR

ya, i read that site a week ago.. that type of GPS does have RTC also, but i still do not find info on how to activate the RTC. the small button battery is the give-a-way that it has RTC on board, but how to activate it is my delema.

This site http://www.larsleonhardt.com/gps-2/ says the battery is only for holding satellite information. Still looking for a datasheet of the chip to get all the lowdown on the pins.

CeaSaR

Found a decent datasheet - http://www.datasheetspdf.com/PDF/NEO-6M/866235/2
If the PPS pin runs when there IS NO GPS signal, then that could be configured as a 1second time base (or whatever time base you need) to keep the clock running. If not, well...

CeaSaR

the 1PPS only works when it sees a GPS signal...does not have to be locked on a satellite, just getting the basic time date etc.
i thought the battery was to keep the RTC going.. Hmmm
the clock is getting its time purely from the gps..if the gps looses signal then the time stops.