Grandmaster clock keeps precise time
Staff -- Test & Measurement World, 3/1/2007
Symmetricom's XLi Grandmaster clock synchronizes network nodes and measures a network's latency. Getting time through its GPS receiver, the XLi can synchronize thousands of IEEE 1588-compliant network nodes with its time-stamp processor and produce time stamps accurate to within 50 ns of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
The XLi uses IEEE 1588 to measure latency between itself and a slave by comparing its 1-pulse-per-second (pps) output to that of the slave, and it is accurate to 5 ns. The XLi can also perform statistical analysis of the time intervals revealed by the slave's mean clock offset from the Grandmaster and the distribution around the mean.
The XLi Grandmaster Clock is available with one or two IEEE 1588 ports. You can configure the second port as a master or slave. The clock also contains an alarm output and an input for IRIG-A, IRIG-B, or NASA-36 codes.
Prices: XLi with one 1588 port—$9,995; with two 1588 ports—$12,495. Symmetricom, www.symmttm.com.
