Netnod provides sneak peek of first FPGA implementation of NTS

Following the launch of one of the first Network Time Security (NTS) enabled NTP services in October 2019, Netnod has been developing a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation of NTS. This is now publicly available for tests.

For many years, Netnod has been responsible for distributing time and frequency in Sweden in cooperation with The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS). The primary services Netnod provides in this regard are NTP and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) services from four locations in Sweden (Stockholm, Malmo, Gothenburg and Sundsvall).

To further increase the robustness of time and frequency distribution over the Internet, Netnod has participated in the work of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to develop the new Network Time Security for the Network Time Protocol (NTS). In March 2020, this was approved as an Internet draft and is in the RFC editor queue awaiting publication as an RFC proper.

FPGA implementation tests

Netnod has now made the first FPGA implementation of NTS publicly available for tests. If you want to test your NTS clients, and understand that the NTS service is not yet ready for production, you can access the service at nts.sth1.ntp.se:4460 and nts.sth2.ntp.se:4460. The service might not be available at all times, and is purely there for testing the protocol and its implementations.

If you have questions or find bugs with the service, please complete a short fault report form at: https://www.netnod.se/fault-report.