IEC 61850-3 HV & IEEE 1613 Certified NTP/PTP Grandmaster with -40 to +85 °C Operating Temperature
With an operating temperature range of -40 to +85 °C, and IEC 61850-3 HV and IEEE 1613 offering up to four times the EMC protection compared to rugged industrial-grade standards, the NTS8600 is engineered to operate reliably in environments exposed to electrical noise, temperature extremes, and radiated disturbances—ensuring uninterrupted performance and high system availability. The NTS8600 NTP Server and IEEE 1588 PTP Grandmaster is the world’s first solution fully certified to both IEC 61850-3 HV and IEEE 1613 standards, delivering exceptional resilience and precision in demanding applications such as power substations, telecommunications networks, automation systems, and enterprise infrastructure.
High Precision Timing
Rigorously tested by Calnex Solutions, a leader in network synchronization testing, the NTS8600 series delivers exceptional time precision, ensuring your power applications’ synchronization needs are met with the highest standards of accuracy. Featuring proven PRTC-B accuracy within 40 ns, IEEE 1588 PTP accuracy within 40 ns, and NTP accuracy within 50 μs, this Grandmaster guarantees precise time distribution across your network.
Superior Holdover Performance
Holdover performance is critical to ensure uninterrupted and accurate time synchronization during loss of the primary time source. The NTS8600 series offers exceptional holdover stability, with a drift of less than 0.5 μs over 8 hours, and approximately 72 μs over 7 days, as validated by Calnex Solutions. When entering holdover mode, the system intelligently adjusts protocol attributes according to the active time profile (e.g., Power, Telecom), and proactively issues notifications via alarms and syslog to alert operators.
Versatile Profile Support and Upgradeability
The Grandmaster supports a wide range of IEEE 1588 PTP profiles, making it suitable for deployment in power, telecom, AVB/TSN, and enterprise networks. For power utilities, it complies with IEEE C37.238-2011, C37.238-2017, and IEC/IEEE 61850-9-3:2016. Telecom synchronization is supported through ITU-T G.8265.1, G.8275.1, and G.8275.2 profiles. IEEE 802.1AS is also supported for time-sensitive networking in industrial and media environments. The Enterprise profile ensures interoperability across standard IT infrastructures. In addition, the Grandmaster supports SyncE for enhanced frequency stability in telecom applications.
GNSS Vulnerability Mitigation and Antenna Protection
NTS8600 offers enhanced robustness and resilience against jamming and spoofing attacks. By receiving signals from multiple constellations for verification, the system can provide spoofing detection and enter holdover mode if necessary. The Grandmaster also features comprehensive antenna vulnerability mitigation, detecting short and disconnected antennas to maintain system integrity. For added protection, a surge protector is available for purchase, safeguarding your equipment from electrical surges and ensuring the reliability of your timing infrastructure.
Comprehensive Redundancy
System redundancy is guaranteed by clustering featuring IEC 62439-3 Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) to ensure network redundancy without data loss or downtime. Link redundancy is achieved through bonding, providing resilient connectivity. Additionally, NTS8600 series offers power redundancy options, including dual DC inputs or a combination of one DC and an external HVAC/HVDC power supply, to safeguard against power failures.
Flexible Timing Output
Modulated IRIG-B is ideal for long-distance transmission due to its resistance to signal degradation and compatibility with legacy equipment. Demodulated IRIG-B, available in TTL or RS-485 formats, offers higher precision, with IRIG-B RS-485 supporting distances up to 1200 meters. PPS and 10MHz outputs are crucial timing signals in modern IEC 61850 power applications, providing precise synchronization essential for various grid operations. The NTS8600 series features up to six configurable outputs, including IRIG-B TTL, AM, RS-485, 1-PPS, and 10MHz waveform. Additionally, IRIG-B RS-485 can be extended over long distances using the ATOP SF63 serial-to-fiber converter via fiber-optic cable.
Ensuring Precision with Comprehensive Delay Compensation
Compensation for antenna delay is essential because long antenna cables can introduce timing errors that affect the accuracy of synchronized operations. Similarly, output delay compensation for signals such as IRIG-B and PPS is vital, especially in systems with multiple IEDs connected. It is much easier and more efficient to compensate for cable delays at the Grandmaster level rather than at each individual IED, as not all IEDs support delay compensation. Handling these adjustments centrally at the Grandmaster guarantees that all connected devices operate in perfect sync, optimizing the performance and coordination of critical substation operations.
APPLICATION CASE
IEEE 1588 in Power Networks: Precision Time Synchronization and Time Redundancy
Two NTS8600 units in the station layer determine the Active and Backup GMC through BMCA. The Active GMC synchronizes to both GPS and GNSS satellite systems and transmits via IEC 62439-3 PRP to two power domains composed of PRP and HSR networks.
According to IEC 61850-9-3 and IEEE C37.238-2017, the total end-to-end budget is 1us, with GMC being 250ns. The NTS8600 achieves superior accuracy of <40ns, reserving more budget for other devices. For early MU devices that rely on 1PPS or IRIG-B for synchronization, the NTS8600 offers 1PPS, IRIG-TTL, IRIG-B AM, IRIG-B RS-485, and RS-485 to fiber-optics by SF-63 for long-distance transmission and delay compensation.
The HSR network provides zero-packet-loss redundancy but also increases latency. Devices in the process layer require more precise timing. When the end-to-end budget cannot be met, a GMC must be deployed to aid in accurate timing for critical devices. The NTS8600, certified to IEC 61850-3 HV & IEEE 1613, operates reliably in harsh process layer environments, providing precise synchronization.
In addition to the NTS8600, our timing solution for power substations also includes BC or TC of RHG9728 and RHG9528, P-Delay TC of EH9711, HSR Redbox, and Quadbox of RGB700X. Check our website for more detailed information on these products
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