time scale

system of ordered marks which can be attributed to instants [...] on the time axis [...], one instant being chosen as the origin Note 1 to entry: A time scale may amongst others be chosen as: — continuous, e.g. international atomic time (TAI) (see IEC 60050-713:1998, 713-05-18); — continuous with discontinuities, e.g. UTC [...] due to leap seconds [...], standard time [...] due to summer time and winter time; — successive steps, e.g. calendars [...], where the time axis [...] is split up into a succession of consecutive time intervals [...] and the same mark is attributed to all instants of each time interval; — discrete, e.g. in digital techniques. [SOURCE:IEC 60050-113:2011, 113-01-11, modified — The words “amongst others” in Note 1 to entry have been added; NOTEs 2 and 3 have been deleted.]