A small but non-trivial part of this problem could be solved by adopting use of the 64bit micros second tick code Eliot added. No roll-over to worry about; not in this lifetime, anyway. Unless you think you're likely to last 580,000 years...

tim
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tim Rowledge; tim at rowledge.org; http://www.rowledge.org/tim
Strange OpCodes: BW: Branch on Whim