ACTS-NT Help Contents
ACTS-NT (tm) Version 1.0 Help Contents

Overview

Installation

Setup

Uninstallation

Copyright/License/Warranty

Registration

Technical notes


Overview of ACTS-NT
Overview

ACTS-NT is a program for Windows NT that allows you to set the internal clock of your computer with accurracy of about a second, using either the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technolog) ACTS (Automatic Computer Time Service) time source or the USNO (United States Naval Observatory) time source.

There are programs similar to ACTS-NT for Windows 3.1 and DOS, but these will not work under Windows NT, because Windows NT requires a program to have the SetSystemTime privilege before it can set the internal clock, and programs do not have this privilege by default. See Installation for how to ensure ACTS-NT can obtain the SetSystemTime privilege.


Installation

1) Place ACTSNT.EXE and ACTSNT.HLP together in any directory.

2) Ensure that all users who will be running ACTSNT.EXE have the SetSystemTime right. Members of the Administrators and Power Users groups have this right by default. You can assign this right to other users using the User Manager (User Rights option under the Policies menu).

3) The first time ACTSNT.EXE is run, it will create a registry entry with key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FrankRamosShareware\ACTS-NT.

4) Use the Setup dialog to configure ACTS-NT.

5) Select the Dial and Set Time option to set your computers time. Observe the results display to verify that the modem is configured properly.


Setup

Time source

You can choose to use either of the following sources to set your computers time:

NIST 	1-303-494-4774

USNO 	1-202-653-0351

Both sources give similar results.

Modem

ACTS-NT has only been tested with Hayes ® compatible modems. It always sets the comm port for 1200 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. The modem must be configured to return verbose result codes. Example of typical modem setup strings:

Initialize    	ATQ0V1E1S0=0

Dial         	ATDT9-1-303-494-4774

Hangup   	ATH


Uninstallation

1) Delete ACTSNT.EXE and ACTSNT.HLP from your computer.

2) Using the registry editor (REGEDT32.EXE), delete registry entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FrankRamosShareware\ACTS-NT. (If you do not know how to use the registry editor, it is okay to just leave this registry entry, with the only effect being a trivial waste of disk space).


Copyright/License/Warranty

ACTS-NT (tm) is Copyright (c) 1994 by Frank F Ramos, All rights reserved.

Send problem reports and other comments to 72202.2574@compuserve.com.

License Agreement and Warranty Disclaimer

You should carefully read the following terms and conditions before using this software.  Use of this software indicates your acceptance of these terms and conditions.  If you do not agree with them, do not use the software.

Shareware Version

You are hereby licensed to: use the Shareware Version of the software for a 21 day evaluation period; make as many copies of the Shareware version of this software and documentation as you wish; give exact copies of the original Shareware version to anyone; and distribute the Shareware version of the software and documentation in its unmodified form via electronic means.  There is no charge for any of the above.

You are specifically prohibited from charging, or requesting donations, for any such copies, however made; and from distributing the software and/or documentation with other products (commercial or otherwise) without prior written permission, with one exception: Disk Vendors approved by the Association of Shareware Professionals are permitted to redistribute ACTS-NT, subject to the conditions in this license, without specific written permission.

Unregistered use of ACTS-NT after the 21-day evaluation period is in violation of federal copyright laws.

For how to register, see Registration.

One registered copy of ACTS-NT may be dedicated to a single person who uses the software on one or more computers or to a single workstation used by multiple people.

Disclaimer of Warranty

This software and the accompanying files are sold "as is" and without warranties as to performance of merchantability or any other warranties whether expressed or implied. In particular, there is no warranty that ACTS-NT will set the time on your computer accurately. ACTS-NT is not capable of setting your computers clock more accurately than within a few seconds, and in some ACTS-NT may not set the time correctly at all, due communication and other delays that cause the time code received from the time source to be inaccurate, and because the time sources may change their formats at any time. It is your responsibility to monitor the messages produced by ACTS-NT and verify that the time is being set correctly to within a few seconds. In addition, ACTS-NT is not guaranteed to run on any particular computer, due to the great variety of computer software/hardware configurations, upon most of which ACTS-NT has not been tested. There is thus no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose.

Good data processing procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested before relying on it. The user must assume the entire risk of using the program. Any liability of the seller will be limited exclusively to product replacement or refund of purchase price.


Registration

This is not free software. This license allows you to use this software for evaluation purposes without charge for a period of 21 days.  If you use this software after the 21 day evaluation period a registration fee of $10 is required. Payments must be in US dollars drawn on a US bank,  payable to Frank F Ramos, and sent to Frank F Ramos, 1 Scott Circle,NW #816, Washington, DC 20036. You can also register through CompuServe (GO SWREG).

One registered copy of ACTS-NT may be dedicated to a single person who uses the software on one or more computers or to a single workstation used by multiple people.


Technical notes

ACTS-NT obtains the current time by dialing a time source and then waiting for a time code string to be sent. It is not necessary to send any commands to the time source. The time source sends the time code string automatically every second on the second.

Format of NIST time code string

jjjjj yy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss tt l uuu aaaaa UTC(NIST) O

jjjjj     = last 5 digits of days since jan 1, 4713 b.c.

yy-mm-dd  = year (last 2 digits), month, day in UTC time

hh:mm:ss  = hours, minutes, seconds in UTC time

tt        = daylight saving indicator

l         = leap second indicator

uuu       = correction factor for old format UTC

aaaaa     = milliseconds that time is being advanced

UTC(NIST) = constant

O         = on-time marker

          = '*' if time is uncorrected

          = '#' if time is corrected

The on-time marker should be returned to NIST until it changes to a '#'. At that time, the time should be received by your computer exactly at the start of the second. The aaaaa correction factor will indicate how many milliseconds early NIST is sending time in order to compensate for transmission delays. Initially, NIST will send time 45 milliseconds early.

Format of USNO time code string

jjjjj ddd hhmmss UTC

jjjjj  = last 5 digits of days since jan 1, 4713 B.C.

ddd    = julian day of current year

hhmmss = hours, minutes, seconds in UTC time

UTC    = constant

Modem notes

1.	Open comm port.

2.	Initialize comm port for 1200 bps, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, DTR enabled.

3.	Write initialize string to modem.

4.	Wait for OK from modem.

5.	Write dial string to modem.

6.	Loop receiving time code string from modem. When time code is stable, set PC clock.

7.	Clear DTR.

8.	Wait 1.2 secs, write +++ to modem, wait 1.2 secs.

9.	Write modem hangup string.

10.	Wait for OK from modem.

11.	Close comm port.

Cancel operation if BUSY, NO CARRIER, ERROR, NO ANSWER or NO DIALTONE received from modem at any time, or if comm port error.