Development of a low-cost NTP stratum 2 time synchronization system with hybrid RTC/NTP failover for remote Indonesian mosques
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Abstract
Conventional time synchronization solutions are often cost-prohibitive and infrastructure-dependent, making them unsuitable for remote regions. This study develops a low-cost, Raspberry Pi 3-based NTP Stratum 2 system for areas with unstable cellular networks. It integrates NTP.bmkg.go.id as its primary source and a DS3231 RTC module for backup during outages. Testing covered: (1) Time Accuracy (0.12s average offset in stable 4G; 0.85s/hour drift in RTC mode), (2) Failover & Recovery (3.1s transition to RTC), (3) Load & Stability (15 NTP clients with 12.1ms latency), and (4) Power Efficiency (2.8W online; 1.2W offline). Results confirm the system’s reliability in maintaining sub-second accuracy amid network instability while being highly energy-efficient. The study offers recommendations for active cooling, GPS-assisted RTC calibration, and solar-powered integration to improve scalability in rural applications. The novelty of this work lies in its pragmatic hybrid architecture, combining affordable software-defined NTP with hardware-based RTC failover, tailored for infrastructural constraints. Its contribution is a validated, replicable model that delivers reliable time synchronization at a fraction of commercial costs, addressing critical gaps in affordable timekeeping for infrastructure-limited regions.
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