Inventor of Network Time Protocol passed away Wednesday

skydave

Dr. David L. Mills, the inventor of Network Time Protocol (NTP), died at the age 85 this past Wednesday, January 17, 2024.

There is a good chance that you use NTP and may not know it. It is the communication protocol computers use to sync up to a time server over the internet, which ultimately is synced to an cesium decay atomic clock. The protocol times and compensates for the delay of the communication from the time server to the device setting itself, since ofcourse the current time message is delayed by speed of light issues and passing through network routers. It’s what your cell phone, or computer, or oven, atomic clock app uses to get the correct time. When you surf the web, the servers that you hit typically use NTP to set their time, so they are synchronized amongst themselves and don’t have other backend problems. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that there are likely billions of devices on this planet that are set to accurate atomic clock regulated time via NTP.

I use my cell phones atomic clock app every morning, which uses NTP, to set my automatic watch for the day. FYI: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/inventor-of-ntp-protocol-that-keeps-time-on-billions-of-devices-dies-at-age-85/

#accuracy #atomic #atomicclock #general
Reply
ascooke
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There better be at least one manuf out there with a limited edition tribute watch release. They can collab with https://onesight.essilorluxottica.com/ (or similar) as a fundraiser.

Let's support this Legend.

#Mills_NTP_Tribute

skydave
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In case there are other software developers here that like to geek out to protocol specs, the official current specification is here: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc5905

bc6619
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Thanks for the info on this I had no idea. May he rest in eternity in Stratum 0.

English_archer
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skydave

In case there are other software developers here that like to geek out to protocol specs, the official current specification is here: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc5905

I loves me a good protocol spec!

Gasanche
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A synchronized moment of silence. 🙏