Automachron 5.001

Automachron (pron. ah-TAW-ma-kron, or something like that) is a freeware SNTP client - Simple Network Time Protocol - for synchronizing your computer's time with an NTP server.  Automachron works under Win95/98, NT4, Win2000 and WinXP. Automachron supports SNTP as well as TIME (both UDP and TCP) for synchronizing time over the internet. Automachron is much less intrusive than its predecessor Netdate.

Here's a screen shot showing the details page.

You'll find some help with Automachron settings below.

Public NTP Servers

The first time you start Automachron you will be prompted to enter an NTP host from which to get time. The best source for time these days is pool.ntp.org. See http://www.pool.ntp.org for details. If you're not sure about NTP versions try the defaults - NTP version 2 and port 123.

WinNT as a service

NT Server 4 can run automachron as a service with the srvany application included in the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit. I don't run NT server but this email exchange with an Automachron user shows that Automachron can be run as a service using srvany.exe along with achron.exe and the /s switch.

Version changes

Download Automachron

If you're upgrading from version 4, or downloading for the first time, make sure you grab achron5.exe from the list of mirrors below.

Automachron Icon
Thanks to Ross for the new and improved automachron icon.

Features

Automachron is very easy to setup and use. Click the 'Host ...' button in the properties dialog box to enter a hostname for your favourite ntp server (ask your ISP or check out the Public NTP Servers section.

A short description of some major features can be found below.

• Context sensitive help in dialog boxes
• Click on the ? icon at the top left of the dialog box, then click on the control for a description of its function.
• Wait for dialup connection
• Synchronisation is not attempted with this option until a dialup connection is made when this option is selected.  Do not use if you're connected to the internet through a LAN.
• Adjustments
• Max Ahead - maximum time adjustment forward (default 3600 secs)
• Max Back - maximum time adjustment backward (default 600 secs)
• Prompt - ask when time change is greater than either of the adjustment limits
• Accept - ignore the adjustment limits and set the time received
• Truncate - truncate the time adjustment according to the adjustment limts (default)
• Startup shortcut
• Run Automachron automatically at startup (a shortcut named Automachron is place in your startup folder)
• Sync at startup
• Synchronises time when Automachron starts unless the wait for dialup connection option is selected
• Close after Sync
• When this option is set Automachron gets the time and closes immediately after setting the local time.  Note that if this option is set the only way to turn the option off is to hold down the Ctrl key when the program is starting.
• Broadcast client support
• Automachron will now act as a broadcast client.  To use this feature you must be on a network on which NTP is being broadcast by the server.  If you're not sure ask your local SysAdmin or click the Broadcast client checkbox and see if you recieve an update (usually within a couple of minutes).  Note that logging with this feature will generate large log files.
• Sync every x seconds
• minimum - every 16 second
• maximum - every 127 years
• most will use a value somewhere between these extremes, I use 1800 seconds
• SNTP versions 1,2,3,4
• SNTP version 2 is the default
• TIME/UDP
• TIME/TCP
• Quiet
• Don't open the Automachron properties dialog box when the program starts (default) and log errors more quietly.
• On Top
• Set the Automachron dialog box on top of all other apps
• Report Only
• Don't set the time, just get it
• Log
• Log to file
• Verbose log option
• View log

  Log Format
   protocol version - host - port~date~time~offset(ms)
  
  Log Format Verbose
   protocol version - host - port~date~time~t1~t2~t3~t4~offset(ms)
  
  Fields
    protocol - ntp/time/broadcast
    version  - protocol version
    host     - host address
    port     - host port
    date     - date (local) after applying offset
    time     - time (local) after applying offset
    t1       - client send time
    t2       - host receive time
    t3       - host reply time
    t4       - client receive time
    offset   - offset applied to system time
  

• Command Line Options
• /s - Use this option once to tell Automachron to use HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE rather than HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Automachron will always use the settings under HKLM\One Guy Coding\Software\Automachron if that key exists. This means that the /s switch is redundant on subsequent use. This also forces automachron to use the All users Startup folder. To stop using HKLM you'll have to delete the key using regedit (Standard Registry Disclaimer: proceed at your own risk.)
• /q - quit after getting time
• host (enter a fully qualified domain name FQDN and Automachron will use this as the default host)
• Registry
HKCU\Software\One Guy Coding\automachron