How much holdover do I need for a 30-day OBN deployment?

For a 30-day seabed node, budget holdover to under 1 sample interval at your sample rate — typically < 1 μs total drift. The KDO65/KDO27 disciplined OCXO series is our standard recommendation; for longer missions or tighter budgets, add a KRA rubidium as the deck master clock.

Can the oscillator survive deck and deployment shock?

The KDO family is built on ruggedized OCXO cores with G-sensitivity ≤ 0.1 ppb/g and tested against MIL-STD-810-style vibration. Dual-output KDOD27L is rated -55°C to +85°C.

What is the power budget for a battery-powered node?

The micro KDO series draws under 0.8 W and the CSAC option just 130 mW. For months-long deployments, pair a micro disciplined oscillator with a low-dropout OCXO in a duty-cycled design.

Do you export to oilfield services companies in the US and Europe?

Yes. KCCS supplies timing modules to seismic instrument OEMs in North America and Europe under standard export documentation. Compliance paperwork travels with each shipment.

OBN Ocean Bottom Seismic Timing | Disciplined Oscillator & Rubidium for Oil Exploration

Q: Can the oscillator survive deck and deployment shock?

The KDO family is built on ruggedized OCXO cores with G-sensitivity ≤ 0.1 ppb/g and tested against MIL-STD-810-style vibration. Dual-output KDOD27L is rated -55°C to +85°C.

Q: What is the power budget for a battery-powered node?

The micro KDO series draws under 0.8 W and the CSAC option just 130 mW. For months-long deployments, pair a micro disciplined oscillator with a low-dropout OCXO in a duty-cycled design.

Q: Do you export to oilfield services companies in the US and Europe?

Yes. KCCS supplies timing modules to seismic instrument OEMs in North America and Europe under standard export documentation. Compliance paperwork travels with each shipment.

On this page: The Timing Problem · Spec Requirements · Recommended Models · FAQ

Warum Unterwasser-Timing eine OBN-Vermessung entscheidet

OBN- und OBC-Seismik-Crews geben pro Kampagne mehrere zehn Millionen Dollar aus. Jeder Knoten muss dieselbe seismische Spur auf Mikrosekunden genau aufzeichnen; wenn die innere Uhr eines ausgelegten Knotens um mehr als einen Bruchteil eines Abtastintervalls driftet, sind die Daten unbrauchbar und das Schiff muss zurückkommen. Die Knoten liegen wochen- bis monatelang auf dem Meeresboden, oft in 1.000–3.000 m Tiefe, ohne GNSS-Empfang und ohne kabelgebundene Referenz.

This is why oilfield service companies and their OEM instrument makers have, for two decades, specified GNSS-disciplined oscillators (GPSDO) and rubidium frequency standards as the node's heart — the same architecture used by Western integrators from Sercel to Fairfield/NXT. KCCS KDO and KRA families are engineered for exactly this duty cycle: tight 1PPS sync at the surface, then long, drift-controlled holdover on the seafloor.

Was ein OBN-Knoten wirklich braucht

Holdover drift during deployment: typically < 1 μs over a 30-day node cycle — this is the single most selected parameter.
1PPS synchronization accuracy at launch: < 50 ns to the vessel's GNSS reference before the node drops.
Phase noise < -155 dBc/Hz @1 kHz so the seismic recorder clock does not lift the noise floor of hydrophone data.
Temperature range: -40°C to +70°C on deck, pressure-rated enclosure to full ocean depth (the oscillator itself stays in a controlled compartment).
Power budget: nodes run on lithium packs for months; low-power OCXO variants or CSAC are preferred over full-size rubidium where holdover allows.
Ruggedness: G-sensitivity ≤ 0.1 ppb/g for deck handling and node deployment shocks.

Empfohlene KCCS-Modelle für OBN/OBC-Seismik

Model	Best For	Holdover	1PPS Sync	Power	Package
KDO65 / KDO27	High-end node recorder, longest deployment	±1.5 μs/24h, sub-μs over 30 days	≤50 ns	~1.5 W	DIP 65 / 27
KDOD27L (dual output)	Dual-channel recorder with rugged deck use	±2 μs/24h, -55~+85°C	≤100 ns	~1.8 W	DIP 27 dual-output
KDO11 / KDO9 / KDO5 (Micro)	Small-form-factor node, battery-critical	≤10 μs/24h (KDO5), ±10 ppb f-T	50 ns	< 0.8 W	14.8×11.8 / 12.5×9 / 7×5 mm
KRA50 / KRA76 Rubidium	Central deck recorder, multi-node master clock	±1E-12/24h aging, holdover < 0.1 μs/day	1PPS disciplined	~15 W warm-up	DIP 50.8 / 76
KCSA35 CSAC	Ultra-low-power backup clock where OCXO warm-up is impossible	≤3E-11/100s drift	—	130 mW	SMD 41×35
KOP27 low-power OCXO	Battery-critical node clock, free-running backup during surfacing	±0.5 ppb f-T, low inrush on 3.3 V	—	33 mA steady	DIP 27×27

Warum Besatzungen gesteuerte statt freilaufende Oszillatoren spezifizieren

Ein frei laufender OCXO driftet bei einer mehrwöchigen Tiefseemission auch nach Oberflächenkalibrierung zu schnell; ein Rubidium ist stabiler, verbraucht aber Batterie. Der GPSDO ist der Sweet Spot: Er lockt vor dem Auslegen auf das GNSS des Schiffes und hält dann die Disziplin während der Beerdigung des Knotens. KDO-Familien werden mit 1PPS-Eingang, diszipliniertem 10-MHz-Ausgang (oder kundenspezifisch) und einem einfachen Lock-Status-Signal ausgeliefert, das der Rekorder in den SEG-Y-Spur-Header eintragen kann.

Timing für Meeresboden-Seismik (OBN / OBC)

Warum Unterwasser-Timing eine OBN-Vermessung entscheidet

Was ein OBN-Knoten wirklich braucht

Empfohlene KCCS-Modelle für OBN/OBC-Seismik

Warum Besatzungen gesteuerte statt freilaufende Oszillatoren spezifizieren

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Verwandte Timing-Ratgeber