The 5600 MSC Master Sync and Clock Generators are both a broadcast quality master sync pulse generator (SPG) and a master clock. Each provides all of the synchronizing signals needed in a 21st century TV station or post production facility at the same time as solving the problem of locking the in-house master clock system to the master video sync pulse generator.

A high stability, temperature controlled oscillator, provides both the 5600MSC and 5601MSC with better than 1.0x10-8 (or 0.01ppm) frequency reference. The free running drift of this 10MHz reference will be less then 0.1Hz (which amounts to less than1 millisecond time drift per day). This guarantees that any frequency drift, with time and temperature, will be within the tolerances expected from the best SPGs or master clocks available in the industry. Both the 5600MSC and 5601MSC may also be referenced to an external 5MHz or 10MHz master oscillator if higher stability is required. Both the SPG and the Master Clock section of the 5600MSC or 5601MSC may be referenced to high stability time and frequency standards present in the Global Position System (GPS) by adding the GPS (+GP) option.

The SPG section of both 5600MSC and 5601MSC provides six timeable reference outputs. These six BNC outputs may be configured to provide independently timed color black (black burst) outputs or independently timed HDTV tri-level sync outputs. Each color black output can optionally carry vertical interval time code (VITC) on a user specified set of lines. Additionally, each output can provide 10MHz, 5MHz, PAL Subcarrier, NTSC Subcarrier, 1 PPS, 1/1.001 PPS, 6/1.001 PPS, PAL color frame pulse and 48kHz wordclock

When referenced to the optional GPS receiver, the start of the NTSC four field sequence, or the PAL eight field sequence, will coincide with a specific point in the GPS code. In this way, by referencing all the 5600MSCs (or 5601MSCs) in a system to GPS, they will all be automatically locked to each other. This is ideal for applications requiring remote facility frequency, phase and time locked! GPS heads may be remoted from the unit with standard 50ft. cables included or optional 100ft. & 400ft. weatherproof cables. For remote GPS head requirements of greater than 400ft. or fiber optic isolation, GPS Data Fiber Transmitters & Receivers are also available (7707GPS-DT, 7707GPS-DR).

On the 5600MSC, the master clock section provides a primary longitudinal time code (LTC) output on an XLR connector and a 9-pin D connector, as well as a secondary LTC output available only on the 9-pin D connector. The time code may be set from the front panel or referenced to a number of different sources.On the 5601MSC, the master clock section provides two longitudinal time code (LTC) or optional IRIG outputs on XLR connectors and a 15-pin D connector. The time code may be set from the front panel or referenced to a number of different sources.

Having two LTC outputs provides the ability to drive 24 and 30 Fps, or drop-frame and non-drop frame timecode simultaneously. Time may be externally referenced to GPS or via modem to a high-level time source or extracted from VITC on the reference input. Time derived from such sources can be offset from UTC to a specific time zone as required. When referenced to GPS or by modem (or LTC or IRIG or VITC on 5601MSC), either MSC can provide RFC-1305 compliant NTP via Ethernet, and operates in broadcast and server mode. GPS, NTP and Modem access are all options for both MSCs. Both the 5600MSC and 5601MSC includes a battery backed-up real time clock to maintain its time while power is not applied to the unit.