Frequently asked questions

Masterclock builds professional time synchronisation: PTP grandmaster clocks (GMR series), NTP time servers (NTP100 series), NTP digital clocks, time code products and count-up and count-down clocks. Daylight bv has been the official Masterclock distributor for the Benelux since 2014.

NTP (Network Time Protocol) synchronises to the millisecond and is sufficient for most IT, broadcast and building applications. PTP (IEEE 1588) reaches sub-microsecond accuracy and is needed for digital substations, telecom and measurement instrumentation. The full difference is explained in NTP vs PTP.

A GNSS antenna (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou) gives your time server an independent stratum-1 time source without the internet. For purely network-based synchronisation an upstream NTP or PTP source can also suffice. More about the choice and antenna mounting in GNSS disciplining.

A standard 5-year limited warranty on all Masterclock products. Daylight bv handles sales and support and processes maintenance and repairs through the Belgian service channel. The details are in Masterclock warranty.

Standard configurations are usually delivered in 8 to 10 weeks from confirmed order. Stock models ship faster; for large projects we reserve a production slot to deliver on time.

For specific projects an evaluation unit is possible. A proof-of-concept works best when it ties in with a concrete application. Contact our sales team to discuss the scope and conditions.

NTP (RFC 5905) and SNTP, PTP IEEE 1588-2008 and 1588-2019 (including the Power Profile IEC 61850-9-3 / IEEE C37.238 for digital substations), IRIG-B and SMPTE/EBU time code. Both multicast and unicast are supported. Background in What is NTP? and What is PTP?.

Holdover is the time a server keeps running accurately without a reference source. It depends on the oscillator: TCXO ~1 day, OCXO several days to a week, Rubidium months. The holdover performance is listed per model in the datasheet. The full comparison is in Holdover: TCXO, OCXO and Rubidium.

Stratum indicates the distance to the reference clock: stratum 0 is the source (GNSS or atomic clock), stratum 1 a server that synchronises directly to it, and each further level counts one hop more. A lower stratum generally means higher accuracy. Explained in NTP stratum levels.

IEEE 1588 (PTP) is the standard for sub-microsecond synchronisation over Ethernet. The IEC 61850-9-3 Power Profile and IEEE C37.238 are the PTP profiles for digital substations in the energy sector. The difference is in IEEE 1588 vs IEC 61850 Power Profile and Power Profile IEC 61850-9-3 vs IEEE C37.238.

As a rule of thumb, every centimetre of digit height stays comfortably readable up to about 5 metres. The required digit height determines which model you need. Use the table and explanation in Choosing digit height.

SMPTE time code is the standard time coding for broadcast and production. LTC (Linear Time Code) runs over an audio track, VITC (Vertical Interval Time Code) sits in the video image. The variants and their use are in SMPTE Time code, LTC and VITC.

Many NTP clocks draw both power and data over a single Ethernet cable via Power over Ethernet. The PoE class (802.3af or 802.3at) and the switch power budget are important. The practical requirements are in PoE NTP clock.

Yes. Daylight bv advises on product selection, configures the devices (time source, time zone, NTP/PTP and display) and supports commissioning. The software to discover and set up devices on the network is on the software page.

The knowledge base and the datasheets are available in eight languages on the site. Personal support and advice are provided in Dutch and English, through the Belgian service channel of Daylight bv.

Yes. Masterclock clocks and time servers apply daylight saving time automatically based on the configured time zone. When the changeover takes place is explained in When does the clock change?.