EXPIRED Neat GPS clock SFP module - $20

[nexox]

This: Nokia | 3HE14833AARA01 | 1063904601-12 | Transceiver Module | eBay is an OSA 5401 SyncPlug, perhaps something that not many people need, but I think they're neat (for $20 I'd buy pretty much any weird device in an SFP module.) Spec sheet is here: https://www.oscilloquartz.com/-/media/oscilloquartz/resources/data-sheets/pdfs/osa-5401.pdf

I just received mine, and while it has pretty outdated SSH algorithms and ciphers, I was able to get in with the default IP, user, and password (found here:https://is5com.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Application-Note_OSA-5401.pdf on page 5):
ssh -oKexAlgorithms=+diffie-hellman-group1-sha1 -oHostkeyAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa,ssh-dss -oCiphers=+aes256-cbc root@192.168.0.2

Once you're in you can change the root password with:
configure management ssh-user change-pw root

I haven't acquired an antenna yet, so I can't actually test it fully yet, but from the spec sheet it doesn't need anything unusual, just 3.3V and a SMA connector.

There are 7 left as of now.

Edit: After receiving the module it appears that they do not support NTP as indicated in the spec sheet, this requires an additional license, I haven't asked how much that would cost. This comment explains how to use the layer 2 PTP multicast to sync an ntpd with the module: https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/neat-gps-clock-sfp-module-20.43927/post-422562

 

[SnJ9MX]

GPS specs seem pretty comparable to a NEO-M8T. These receivers are usually >$20 by quite a bit. I recently got a LEA-6T up and running as a timing module, with position determined via survey-in to a couple centimeters to join my other PPS projects - Microsecond accurate NTP with a Raspberry Pi and PPS GPS - Austin's Nerdy Things

Curious to see how hard it'll be to do the same for this.

There are tons of antennas on Amazon/eBay for $15-20 that are active (3.3V) and SMA.

 

[Scott Laird]

A *gps* SFP? Huh. $20?

 

[nexox]

There are tons of antennas on Amazon/eBay for $15-20 that are active (3.3V) and SMA.

Indeed, I had found a nice one with a 5 meter cable for $8, but the seller refunded me after a few days and I figured at that point I would wait until I got the module installed and tested before I ordered another.

 

[nexox]

Also in case it wasn't clear from the spec sheet, these have a built in NTP server (rated at 500k transactions per second - not a spec I have seen for a time server before) and do PTP, plus the RP-MMCX PPS output.

 

[nexox]

And they're gone.

 

[ms264556]

These are all gone, but assuming I bought one off the outfit which have them for $30... Does this module just pickup an IP and look like an NTP host out on my network?

 

[nexox]

Default IP is 192.168.0.2, I haven't messed around enough to see if it supports DHCP, but the second PDF I linked has instructions on how to change the static IP - it supports VLANs and separate management and NTP IPs, though I haven't found detailed instructions on how to set any of that up yet. It did definitely start spewing PTPv2 frames as soon as I plugged it in, you can presumably use those without any IP configuration.

 

[ms264556]

Wow. I wonder what other server-in-an-SFP modules there are.

 

[ms264556]

(I'm imagining Patrick's review of one of these )

 

[Koop]

Interesting.

How does something like this compare to picking a GPS module like this one?

I don't think I'd want to waste a SFP port on this unless there was some clear advantage (not that I can get this deal anyway haha). I don't know enough about putting together something like this to know one way or the other.

 

[Samir]

Wow. I wonder what other server-in-an-SFP modules there are.

Yeah, this is pretty wild. I had no idea these were even a thing.

 

[nexox]

Notes on usage and configuration (in the order I come across them):

• Backspace doesn't work on the command line (at least not with my config) but ctrl+h does, sometimes.
• The help command isn't very helpful, the line printed after entering a new menu tells you the commands available in the current context.
• The PDF instructions about setting the IP are wrong, it's configure clock l3-profiles ip-address 10.10.10.10/24
  • VLAN config is in that l3-profiles menu too
• You have to run the save command to store the settings you change, if you run show running-config it will notify you about unsaved changes at the end of the output.
• The menu for management IP config is: configure management host ip-address 10.20.20.20/24
• You can set the location with: configure clock gnss location [ mode | latitude | longitude | altitude ]
  • modes allowed there are [ navigation | survey-in | fixed ]
• I don't see a way to hard-reset the device if you mess up network or auth config... be careful.
  • If you get locked out you can't run the save command so a power cycle will save you. Just make sure to log out and back in after a password change to avoid being bitten by that (though it shows the new password twice in plain text on change so it's hard to mess that one up.)

How does something like this compare to picking a GPS module like this one?

It's got an NTP server and the other high-precision network time protocols built in, no serial connection to a host computer to run anything.

I don't think I'd want to waste a SFP port on this

I have several spare SFP ports. None of them are anywhere close to a good place to run an antenna outdoors but that's a solvable problem. Right now I have it in the spare port of my desktop dual 10G card and I think I'll be running an antenna out a sliding door for a little while.

 

[Koop]

It's got an NTP server and the other high-precision network time protocols built in, no serial connection to a host computer to run anything.

Ah interesting okay- sorry you did say that in the initial post but it didn't sink in. With that understanding I figure that you'd put it right into a switch to have it network accessible by everything.

Is there other NTP devices like this that aren't packed into an SFP? It's really neat either way.

 

[nexox]

With that understanding I figure that you'd put it right into a switch to have it network accessible by everything.

Yeah, that's my plan once I figure out what kind of reception the antenna gets, my house has a stucco exterior that uses a wire mesh backing that kind of forms a faraday cage, so I expect I'll need to drill some holes and get a 30 foot extension cable.

Is there other NTP devices like this that aren't packed into an SFP? It's really neat either way.

I have only come across switches with this same type of thing built in, while looking for these modules after I saw one a few months ago but didn't jump on it quickly enough. They're generally kind of expensive. There may be more options but I was really looking for the SFP thing.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

I simply connected a Garmin receiver puck to my pfSense firewall.

<5 usec offset/jitter. Good enough for a homelab

GitHub - elvisimprsntr/pfsense-ntp-gps: pfSense NTP GPS Server

pfSense NTP GPS Server. Contribute to elvisimprsntr/pfsense-ntp-gps development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[tinfoil3d]

very interesting, can you get root shell on it?

 

[nexox]

very interesting, can you get root shell on it?

I can ssh as root but it's not a full shell, just a console application to configure the thing.

 

[Digital Spaceport]

This is so cool and I absolutely don't need one to but...maybe....I.....do

 

[cy384]

super interested in one of these, if anyone has one they're willing to let go (or knows where they can be still be found), I'm definitely willing to pay more than $20