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Abstract

A method and apparatus for synchronizing unrelated reference signals originating from two or more sources at different locations, which signals may be in different signal formats and/or subject to different delays at the receiving station. A master generator having an absolute time input from a highly stable time source generates a master reference signal having a frequency that is a common multiple of the frequencies of the unrelated reference signals. A counter is implemented from an arbitrary initial time point and the time elapsed from the initial time point to a synchronizing event is periodically encoded into the master reference signal as time code data. A slave generator associated with each information signal is genlocked to the master reference signal, and the time code data is encoded into the slave reference outputs. Each synchronizing event is thus associated with time code data specifying the absolute time of the synchronizing event, which can be inserted into an upstream position in the slave reference output associated with the information signal. Thus, two signals originating from different locations can be precisely synchronized so that transmission from one source to the other is synchronous and signal timings are known in advance.

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First Claim