Connecting master clock or time server to the primary server through a serial port
There are two ways to connect a time server to the network. If you time server is an NTP time server, it has an ethernet connection for direct connection to a hub. This type of time source will be referred to as a time server.
Alternatively, if the time source has a serial port outputs, standard time codes are used to transfer time between devices. Connect a standard straight-through serial cable, to connect an available RS-232 serial port on the back of the master clock to the serial port on a server or workstation that is always on. (From this point on, this computer will be called the primary server and the time server is called a master clock). For Windows network synchronization, we recommend using time data format 2, but formats 0 and 1 are also supported. Refer to the master clock manual for data format and configuration.
If the master clock only has a remote RS-485 port output, you can use a Spectracom TimeTap converter for the connection to the serial port of a Server or Workstation. Refer to the TimeTap manual for wiring instructions.