Network Time Servers: Upgrade Unison Software

Upgrade Your Unison Network Time Server
Free software upgrades

We provide upgrades and enhancements to our products at this site for no charge. The software available on this page is for the Unison Network Time Server.

NOTE: You do not need to upgrade software everytime we release a new version. This is because the software installed in the Unison is a shared code base used by other products - the Meridian, the Tempus LX, and the Tycho. Sometimes we make changes to the software that are relevant for one product but not for others. Or, we may add features and options that would not be pertinent to your particular product. Read the history of changes below to see if upgrading software makes sense for you.

The latest binary image files:

NTP Subsystem
What is the part number of your current software? You need to know this number in order to get the correct binary image for upgrading the NTP Subsystem of your Unison.

To get the software part number type command: "cntpversion" for Unison CDMA or "gntpversion" for Unison GPS.
You will see the software part number displayed like this:
   Unison CDMA 6010-004x-000
   or
   Unison GPS 6010-004x-000

Click here if x=2 (software part number is 6010-0042-000).

Click here if x=4 (software part number is 6010-0044-000).

Receiver Subsystem
Current revision level is v5.04.
You may not need to upgrade. Check the history of software changes first.
If you do decide to upgrade the Receiver Subsystem then be sure to also upgrade the NTP Subsystem.
Click here to download Receiver Subsystem 6010-0020-000 v5.04.
Note: This is the correct binary image for the Receiver Subsystem of ALL Unison products, whether CDMA or GPS.

Upgrade Instructions
To start please refer to "Appendix B - Upgrading the Firmware" of your User Manual. If you want to download the manual click here to go to the User Manual download page.

The first image file above is for the NTP Subsystem. This is a GZIP file (.gz) so use as is - do not decompress it before downloading into the NTP Subsystem. To download follow the instructions in "Appendix B - Performing the Linux/NTP Upgrade".

The second image file above is not zipped. It is the binary file for the Receiver Subsystem. For download purposes it doesn't matter which type of receiver you have (CDMA or GPS) - the binary image file is the same. To download follow the instructions in Appendix B "Performing the CDMA Upgrade" or "Performing the GPS Upgrade".

If you have any problems with the upgrade please contact customer support by email or phone: 1-877-749-3878.

History of Software Changes for NTP Subsystem
(Software Part Numbers 6010-0042-000 and 6010-0044-000)

Version	Changes
5.11	Fixed a bug related to the gntpuser or cntpuser login. If you are having trouble logging in to your unit then upgrading your software will not correct the problem. Please see this Field Service Bulletin. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade. NOTE: A major change occurred at version 2.60. If you are upgrading and the current version in your unit is prior to that, then please read the information on version 2.60.
5.10	New option added to the product line: Precision Time Protocol (PTP/IEEE-1588). RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
5.00	Changes not relevant to the Unison. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
4.00	1. Added capability for CDMA model to operate in India. 2. Added additional format selections to the Serial Time Output Option. 3. Changed TFOM value for GPS model to be in the range of 9-3 (was 9-4). Note: TFOM is usually irrelevant for time server customers. 4. Added CRC checking on the time information going from the Receiver Subsystem to the NTP Subsystem. This will further bulletproof the timekeeping ability of the product and prevent any possible time jumps in the rare case (seen only once) of a hardware glitch on the circuit board. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
3.02	1. To enhance SSH security, the default was changed from accepting versions 1 and 2 protocol connections to only accepting version 2 protocol connection. Version 1 is considered insecure. 2. Fixed a bug wherein the unit continued to serve time for too long after loss-of-lock to synchronization signal (GPS/CDMA). RECOMMENDATION: Please upgrade.
3.01	Added 0.1 meter resolution capability to the console "setgpsrefpos" script for GPS products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
3.00	1. Added ability to set optional Serial Time Output format via console port command. 2. Added ability to mask off certain alarms - the Antenna Fault in GPS products and the Signal Loss Fault in both GPS and CDMA products. If you are operating your time server as a Stratum II Server then you may want to mask off these alarms. 3. Added more selections for the optional Programmable TTL Output. 4. Fixed a bug related to unprivileged user in cntpstat/gntpstat reporting. RECOMMENDATION: Upgrade if you care about one of the items listed above.
2.63	Added capability to discipline new oscillator type. Irrelevant for previously shipped products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.62	Fixed a bug when entering positive time zone offsets via console port command "timemodeconfig". RECOMMENDATION: Upgrade if you are in a positive time zone (east of Greenwich Mean Time).
2.61	Added capability for options in the Unison. Irrelevant for previously shipped products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.60	Major upgrade with updated versions of all applications, utilities and shared libraries typically installed in an embedded Linux-based system. Please click here for IMPORTANT information. RECOMMENDATION: Please upgrade. NOTE: This software release is IPv6-capable. IPv6 is in the experimental stage but some of our customers want it now. In order to enable IPv6 operation you must perform a second upgrade operation to replace your IPV4-only kernel. If you want IPv6 operation then: 1. Click here for IMPORTANT information, AND... 2. Click here to download the IPv6-capable Linux kernel.
2.05	Added capability to discipline new oscillator type. Irrelevant for previously shipped products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.04	Changes not relevant to the Unison. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.03	Fixed a bug in NTP that continued to report Stratum 1 with TFOM=9. However, the unit correctly refused to reply to NTP client requests, so this problem was only seen in reports. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.02	Changes not relevant to the Unison. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.01	Changes not relevant to the Unison. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.00	This release was an integration of Time Server and Time & Frequency products into the same firmware image with automatic boot time configuration of the model and receiver type. RECOMMENDATION: Please upgrade.

History of Software Changes for Receiver Subsystem
(Software Part Number 6010-0020-000)

Version	Changes
5.04	1. Improved CDMA receiver operation in noisy/multipath environments. 2. Corrected bug that wore out FLASH memory chips on GPS units operating for long periods of time without an antenna - such as during Stratum 2 operation. See this Field Service Bulletin. RECOMMENDATION: GPS users please upgrade.
5.03	Corrected bug introduced in version 5.00 (GPS only). RECOMMENDATION: GPS users please upgrade.
5.02	Improved IRIG-B time code generation. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade unless your unit has the IRIG-B option and the time code reader you are using is having trouble reading the IRIG. (Rare problem - seen only once.)
5.01	1. Most changes not relevant to the Unison. 2. Added capability for CDMA model to operate in Sri Lanka. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
5.00	1. Most changes not relevant to the Unison. 2. Corrected rare bug in GPS leap second processing. RECOMMENDATION: GPS users upgrade before next leap second occurrence.
4.00	1. Added capability for CDMA model to operate in India. 2. Added additional format selections to the Serial Time Output Option. 3. Changed TFOM value for GPS model to be in the range of 9-3 (was 9-4). Note: TFOM is usually irrelevant for time server customers. 4. Corrected bug in the IRIGB-120/IEEE1344 output. 5. Added CRC checking on the time information going from the Receiver Subsystem to the NTP Subsystem. This will further bulletproof the timekeeping ability of the product and prevent any possible time jumps in the rare case (seen only once) of a hardware glitch on the circuit board. RECOMMENDATION: Upgrade if you are using the optional IRIGB-120/IEEE1344 output.
3.03	Added NMEA0183 format to the Serial Time Output option. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
3.02	Change not relevant to the Unison. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
3.01	Added software to work with new version of hardware circuit board. Irrelevant for previously shipped products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
3.00	No change. Version bumped to maintain synchronization with NTP Subsystem version. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.13	Added capability to discipline new oscillator type. Irrelevant for previously shipped products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.12	Test routine added for factory manufacturing. Irrelevant for customer. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.11	Added new string format selections for optional Serial Time Output. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.10	Test routine added for factory manufacturing. Irrelevant for customer. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.09	Changed the optional time code format selection list. Irrelevant for most Unison users unless you have the timecode output option. RECOMMENDATION: Upgrade if you have the timecode output option.
2.08	Changes not relevant to the Unison. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.07	Corrected extremely rare bug for GPS units that occurred only in very high interference environments. RECOMMENDATION: GPS users upgrade if your Unison is having trouble staying locked.
2.06	Added capability to discipline new oscillator type. Irrelevant for previously shipped products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.05	Added capability to discipline new oscillator type. Irrelevant for previously shipped products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.04	Changes not relevant to the Unison. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.03	Added capability to discipline new oscillator type. Irrelevant for previously shipped products. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.02	Improved error handling for GPS receiver. RECOMMENDATION: GPS users please upgrade.
2.01	Changes not relevant to the Unison. RECOMMENDATION: No need to upgrade.
2.00	Change in communication between the Receiver Subsystem and the NTP Subsystem. RECOMMENDATION: Please upgrade.