--- title: "Bluetooth timecode ecosystems — PToB research" description: "A proposed common time, quality and event contract for media adapters, with exact frame/sample mapping and explicit commercial compatibility boundaries." url: "https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/" language: "en" robots: "index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1" representations: {"application/json":"https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/?format=json","text/markdown":"https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/?format=markdown"} format_description: "https://ptob.dev/agent-formats.json" --- # A Shared Time Base for Bluetooth Timecode Ecosystems: PToB Architecture, Compatibility Boundaries, and a Validation Programme Research draft 22 October 2026 16 pages · PDF Could several media ecosystems share a time base through separately validated adapters? [Read PDF](https://ptob.dev/papers/preview/?file=%2Fpapers%2Fptob-bluetooth-timecode-preprint.pdf)[Cite this edition](https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/#citation) ## Overview This architecture study proposes a common time, quality and event contract beneath native app timestamps, vendor-specific Bluetooth interfaces and optional LTC/MTC outputs. It retains exact rational frame/sample mapping and the differences between control, jam and physical capture. ## What this paper covers - Separate shared Bluetooth transport from actual vendor interoperability. - Map continuous time into exact frame and sample coordinates. - Define independent recorded-event checks for each adapter and output. ## Research scope No adapter, vendor integration, LTC/MTC generator or new hardware experiment is reported. Commercial interoperability, TAI firmware support, recorded-event accuracy and genlock remain unqualified. ## Read it in context Use this as a media integration research plan. The timing measurements elsewhere concern their named clock references; they do not measure a camera exposure, audio sample clock or timecode input. [LaTeX source and references](https://github.com/yantisj2/PToB/blob/main/papers/ptob-bluetooth-timecode-preprint.tex)[Research methods and limits](https://ptob.dev/research/#methods) ## Cite this edition Jonathan Yantis. A Shared Time Base for Bluetooth Timecode Ecosystems: PToB Architecture, Compatibility Boundaries, and a Validation Programme. 22 October 2026. Research draft. [Original PDF](https://ptob.dev/papers/preview/?file=%2Fpapers%2Fptob-bluetooth-timecode-preprint.pdf). Summary permalink: [https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/](https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/) Jonathan Yantis leads protocol design, hardware development and research. GPT 6.1 contributes implementation, analysis and documentation. This page summarizes the linked edition; retain its original evidence dates and measurement references. ## The full paper The original document includes the technical detail and references behind this summary. [Read PDF](https://ptob.dev/papers/preview/?file=%2Fpapers%2Fptob-bluetooth-timecode-preprint.pdf) [Cite this edition](https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/#citation) [Paper sources on GitHub](https://github.com/yantisj2/PToB/blob/main/papers/README.md) ## Continue exploring [Indoor positioning with BLE timing beacons](https://ptob.dev/research/indoor-positioning-ble-beacons/)[A shared time base for robotics](https://ptob.dev/research/robotics-gptp-tsn/)[From software clocks to physical synchronization](https://ptob.dev/research/white-rabbit-physical-synchronization/)[Indoor PNT and sensor fusion](https://ptob.dev/research/indoor-pnt-sensor-fusion/)[All research & evidence](https://ptob.dev/research/) ## Structured data ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#website", "url": "https://ptob.dev/", "name": "PToB", "alternateName": [ "Precision Time over BLE", "Precision Time over Bluetooth" ], "description": "Bluetooth and USB software clocks: W12 60.3 ns relative-PPS RMS over 522/600 observations, separate 64 s sampled holdover, and CoreSE diagnostics.", "inLanguage": [ "en", "de" ], "publisher": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#jonathan-yantis" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#jonathan-yantis", "name": "Jonathan Yantis", "url": "https://github.com/yantisj2/PToB/blob/main/CREDITS.md" }, { "@type": "Project", "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#project", "name": "PToB", "alternateName": "Precision Time over BLE", "url": "https://ptob.dev/", "description": "An independent protocol project researching precision time transfer across Bluetooth-enabled microcontrollers and USB clients.", "sameAs": "https://github.com/yantisj2/PToB", "member": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#jonathan-yantis" }, "knowsAbout": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#protocol" } }, { "@type": "Thing", "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#protocol", "name": "Precision Time over BLE", "alternateName": "PToB", "description": "An experimental PTP-inspired protocol proposal for wireless clock synchronization over Bluetooth Low Energy." }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/#webpage", "url": "https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/", "name": "Bluetooth timecode ecosystems — PToB research", "description": "A proposed common time, quality and event contract for media adapters, with exact frame/sample mapping and explicit commercial compatibility boundaries.", "inLanguage": "en", "keywords": [ "Bluetooth clock synchronization", "Precision Time over BLE", "Applications & future hardware" ], "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#website" }, "author": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#jonathan-yantis" }, "about": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#protocol" }, "dateModified": "2026-10-30", "image": "https://ptob.dev/social/ptob-timing-v3.jpg", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/#breadcrumbs" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/papers/ptob-bluetooth-timecode-preprint.pdf#article" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/#breadcrumbs", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "PToB", "item": "https://ptob.dev/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Bluetooth and Starlink timing research and results", "item": "https://ptob.dev/research/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bluetooth timecode ecosystems", "item": "https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/" } ] }, { "@type": "ScholarlyArticle", "@id": "https://ptob.dev/papers/ptob-bluetooth-timecode-preprint.pdf#article", "url": "https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/", "headline": "A Shared Time Base for Bluetooth Timecode Ecosystems: PToB Architecture, Compatibility Boundaries, and a Validation Programme", "name": "A Shared Time Base for Bluetooth Timecode Ecosystems: PToB Architecture, Compatibility Boundaries, and a Validation Programme", "description": "A proposed common time, quality and event contract for media adapters, with exact frame/sample mapping and explicit commercial compatibility boundaries.", "author": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#jonathan-yantis" }, "datePublished": "2026-10-22", "dateModified": "2026-10-22", "inLanguage": "en", "creativeWorkStatus": "Research draft", "about": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/#protocol" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/research/bluetooth-timecode-ecosystems/#webpage" }, "image": "https://ptob.dev/social/ptob-timing-v3.jpg", "encoding": { "@type": "MediaObject", "contentUrl": "https://ptob.dev/papers/ptob-bluetooth-timecode-preprint.pdf", "encodingFormat": "application/pdf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://ptob.dev/research/#webpage" } } ] } ```