Daylight Savings Time
As a result of the 2005 Energy Policy Act, Daylight Saving Time (DST) has been extended. From this point on, DST will occur on the second Sunday in March and revert to standard time on the first Sunday in November. The extension of four weeks in the spring and one week in the fall of DST will result in substantial energy savings.
| Year | DST Begins 2 a.m. (Second Sunday in March) |
DST Ends 2 a.m. (First Sunday in November) |
| 2008 | March 9 | November 2 |
| 2009 | March 8 | November 1 |
| 2010 | March 14 | November 7 |
| 2011 | March 13 | November 6 |
| 2012 | March 11 | November 4 |
| 2013 | March 10 | November 3 |
| 2014 | March 9 | November 2 |
| 2015 | March 8 | November 1 |
Daylight Saving Time - for the U.S. and its territories - is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and by most of Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona). Learn more about DST by visiting the NIST website.
Canada
In most of Canada Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 a.m. local time on the second Sunday in March. On the first Sunday in November areas on Daylight Saving Time return to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m. In Newfoundland and Labrador Daylight Saving Time begins one minute after 12:00 a.m. local time on the second Sunday in March. On the first Sunday in November areas on Daylight Saving Time return to Standard Time at one minute after 12:00 a.m.
The Effect of New Daylight Saving Rules on Timing, Test, and Measurement Products
Symmetricom has completed simulation testing of all of our time and frequency receivers, time and frequency processor modules and network time servers to characterize their behaviors for the new rules. The following table lists the Symmetricom products, indicates whether DST is supported, and if the product can be configured to support the new DST rules per the 2005 Energy Policy Act.
With regard to all NTP network time servers, they are not affected by DST since by definition NTP serves time in the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) format. DST time offsets are handled by the client operating system.
When a product has the comment “DST not supported,” this means that the ability to configure the product to accommodate a DST offset is not designed in the product. This applies to products that generally accept whatever time code is given to them or in general do not support local time. It can also apply to products that do not support the time of day (like our Cesium precision frequency references).
Find the product of interest in the table below:
| Model | Supports DST | Supports New US DST Rules per 2005 Energy Policy Act | Comments |
| XLi | Y | Y | Configure DST using F66 command |
| XLi SAASM | Y | Y | Configure DST using F66 command |
| SyncServer S200/S250 | Y | Y (upgrade required) | NTP output not affected as it is based on UTC. Local front panel display and IRIG output capable of DST. Firmware update needed to v1.1. |
| XL-DC | Y | Y | Configure DST using F66 command |
| NTS 100(i) | Y | Y | Configure DST using F66 command |
| NTS-200/150 | N | N | Not DST capable. UTC/GPS time on display and NTP only. |
| Time Vault | N | N | Not DST capable. UTC/GPS time on display and NTP only. |
| BC635/637VME | N | N | DST not supported |
| BC637PCI-U | N | N | DST not supported |
| ET6000 | Y | Y | Configure DST via serial command command |
| Model 56000 | Y | Y | DST manually configured using F66 command |
| XL-GPS | Y | Y | DST manually configured using F66 command |
| TymServe TS2100 | N | N | Not DST capable. UTC/GPS on NTP only, display local offset only. |
| XL-AK | Y | Y | DST manually configured using F66 command |
| SyncServer S100 | Y | N | NTP output not affected as it is based on UTC. Time on web page interface and log file time stamps will follow old DST rules. Workaround: manually change time zone for the four weeks in the spring and one week in the fall. |
| XL750 | Y | Y | DST configured via serial port. |
| GPS 605 | Y | Y | Configure DST using F66 command |
| 560-5908-U | N | N | DST not supported |
| 560-5900/01 | N | N | DST not supported |
| bc627AT | N | N | DST not supported |
| TTM635/637VME | N | N | DST not supported |
| VME SG II | N | N | DST not supported |
| Mark V | Y | Y | Configure DST using F66 command |
| 700 | N | N | DST not supported |
| 560-5151 | N | N | NTP output not affected as it is based on UTC. |
| Domain Time II | N | N | NTP is not affected as it is based on UTC. Local time on host computer is managed by the operating system. |
| ND-2, ND-4 time display | Y | Y | See manual on setting DST rules. |
| 5071A | N | N | DST not supported |
The Effect of New Daylight Saving Rules on Telecom Solutions Division Products
Symmetricom Telecom Solutions Division (TSD) hardware products are not affected by Daylight Saving changes. They are based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time, and only may be manually set to local time by giving an hour offset.
TSD network management products require minor adjustments. Only US, Canada and other countries that have recently altered their daylight saving rules need to apply patches.
TimeScan NMS
To get the latest Microsoft updates appropriate for your operating system, click here.
TimePictra
To adjust to the new DST rules and get patch name PHCO_34668 for the operating system, click here.
- Note that "PHCO_34668 s700_800 11.11 tztab(4) cumulative patch" is included in the December 2006 11.11 Quality Pack patch bundle.
TimePictra does not utilize java for any time/date related function. Patching the java will not affect TimePictra.
