Dr. David Fleming manages the Time, Frequency and Acoustics Laboratory in the National Standards Authority of Ireland’ National Metrology Laboratory (NSAI NML). David has worked in the field of Metrology and Calibration in the NSAI NML for 15 years and has extensive experience in calibration, research, collaboration, mentoring, and project management. As Ireland’s Contact Person for Time, Frequency, Acoustics and Quality within EURAMET, David regularly interacts with a broad network of European colleagues within EURAMET and the BIPM (International Bureau for Weights and Measures) on several related matters. Having established UTC(NSAI) with colleagues in NSAI NML in November 2020 as Ireland’s only timescale traceable directly to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), David is currently involved in a project to disseminate UTC (NSAI) across fibre networks to interested parties and is delighted to be engaging with Timing Solutions Ltd. and Data Edge Ltd. to set up a National Timing Grid (NTG) for Ireland. This will serve to increase the resilience, accuracy and security of Timing and Synchronisation across the island of Ireland. NSAI NML’s traceability to the BIPM through UTC (NSAI) serves to underpin the whole framework of the NTG.

Aisling O’Rourke is a graduate intern at the National Standards Authority of Ireland’ National Metrology Laboratory (NSAI NML), working in the Time and Frequency Section. She recently graduated from Technological University Dublin with a First Class Honours in Physics. Aisling carried out a final year project entitled ‘An Assessment of the Stability and Accuracy of Atomic Frequency Standards’ at the NSAI NML under the supervision of Dr. David Fleming. The overall objective was to develop and implement a method of assessing and quantifying the accuracy and stability of the atomic frequency standards maintained by the NSAI NML. This project served to successfully streamline the characterisation and ongoing performance measurements of the Time and Frequency Laboratory’s ensemble of atomic clocks. Aisling also contributed to the establishment of Ireland’s timescale, UTC (NSAI), in November 2020 while carrying out a student placement role at NSAI NML. As the NSAI NML serve as the cornerstone of the National Timing Grid (NTG) thanks to their relationship with the BIPM, Aisling currently participates as one of the main liaisons representing NSAI NML and looks forward to monitoring atomic clocks contributing data to the NTG.

Dr. Zdenek Chaloupka is a director of a start-up company Timing Solutions Ltd. Before starting his own company, Zdenek has spent more than 12 years in PNT industry and academia in companies such as u-blox AG as the Head of Timing Product Team, European Space Agency as a Research Fellow and EBTIC (BT) as a Senior Researcher. He has a number of awarded patents to his name and publishes regularly in peer reviewed journals. His main interest and passion is time and timing synchronization and related devices and algorithms.

Zdenek served as u-blox’s delegate to ITU-T Q13/15 Network synchronization and time distribution performance group, which deals with synchronization recommendations for telecom devices.

Zdenek is a contributing member of an IEEE P1952 Resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing User Equipment Working Group, where concepts such as National Timing Grid are being discussed.

Paul Phelan is an Electronics engineering graduate of Kevin St. DIT/Trinity. In 1994 he joined Data Edge as a design engineer. He has been involved in timing & synchronisation in Ireland since the late 1990’s and was fundamental in Data Edge’s representing the industries foremost synchronisation equipment manufacturers, such as Calnex, Microchip/Microsemi/Symmetricom, Spirent. Paul also notes a key longterm relationship being Chronos Technology UK who have been at the forefront of Synchronisation design and training. 

Data Edge has been involved in Ireland’s telecom synchronisation installations spanning from Ireland’s first Cesium installations in Telecom Eireann and continues with upgrading/installing & maintaining the latest timing technologies to Ireland’s Telecom, Govt. and Large Enterprise community.

Data Edge have been very involved in Ireland’s cellular companies progression from the traditional f requency distribution to the latest packet timing distribution, enabling the latest 4G & 5G high speed cellular services, and are heavily involved in the New PTP IEEE1588 Data Centre Profile, and were a key team member in designing the highest recorded capacity test of a single DC Profile Grand Master.  

Paul regularly attends the ITSF International Timing & Synchronisation Forums, which helps guide the rollout of the World’s latest timing & synchronisation technologies.

Paul is a contributing member of HEAnet‘s academic Timing & Frequency Group and with Data Edge is a founding technical partner of Ireland’s National Timing Grid (NTG) initiative. 

B Sc (Eng) – Kevin  St./ Trinity Col. 1990
National Avionics Research Centre (NARC) – DIT Kevin St.  (Campus Company Electronics Design) 1990-1994 Electronics Design Engineer – Automated Test Equipment ATE – Aviation cockpit navigation electronics
Data Edge – Electronics Design Engineer – Custom GPIB instrumentation & switching 1994 – 2007 
Data Edge – Co. Director – 2007 – 2010 
Data Edge – CTO – 2010 – 2018 
Data Edge – CEO – 2018 – Now