APX-SYNC200 Telecom Network Synchronization System
Product Overview
The APEX APX-SYNC200 is a telecom network synchronization system for carrier transport networks. It provides the frequency reference that transport equipment has always needed and the phase reference that packet based services now depend on, from one traceable source at each node.
Carrier networks are mixed by nature. Part of the transport layer distributes frequency through the physical layer, part of it recovers time from the packet stream, and a smaller set of interfaces still expects a discrete signal on a dedicated port. When each of those methods is synchronized from its own source, every element reports itself as locked while the network drifts at the boundary between domains, and that kind of fault is slow to find and expensive to explain.
The APX-SYNC200 is built as the single reference for that node. It locks to GPS and BeiDou, disciplines its internal oscillator to the satellite reference, and then serves the site in three ways: packet time and phase to transport nodes, frequency to equipment that distributes it through the physical layer, and NTP to management systems and servers. Outputs cover 1PPS, 10MHz, E1 and time code, so legacy transport, switching and multiplex equipment in a carrier cabinet can be served from the same unit.
It is used at transport and aggregation sites, at mobile core and edge locations, in long haul regeneration stations and carrier hotels, and in utility or enterprise networks that run carrier class transport of their own.
Key Features
- One reference serving packet time, frequency distribution and discrete outputs
- GNSS lock to GPS and BeiDou with disciplining of the internal oscillator
- PTP over Ethernet for nodes that recover time from the packet layer, with the telecom profile configured for the project
- Frequency outputs that feed physical layer distribution through the transport chain
- E1, 10MHz and 1PPS outputs for legacy interfaces still present in carrier cabinets
- Time code output for equipment that expects a serial time reference
- NTP and SNTP service for management systems and servers at the site
- Reference priority with automatic switching, and holdover when the satellite reference is lost
- Alarm and status reporting for reference source, lock state and holdover
- Interface and profile configuration recorded per project so repeat sites match
- Optional redundant power supply and a second reference input
- Antenna, cable and surge protection supplied as one matched set
- CE and RoHS compliant, supplied with a test report and a 3 year warranty
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|
| Part Number | APX-SYNC200 |
| Product Type | Telecom network synchronization system |
| GNSS Reference | GPS and BeiDou timing configurations |
| Packet Time | PTP over Ethernet with telecom profile configuration |
| Frequency Distribution | 10MHz and E1 outputs for physical layer distribution |
| Network Time | NTP and SNTP |
| Discrete Outputs | 1PPS and time code output |
| Holdover | Internal oscillator disciplined to the satellite reference, holdover maintained when the reference is lost |
| Reference Inputs | GNSS antenna input, external reference input for a second source |
| Network Interfaces | Multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports |
| Redundancy | Reference priority with automatic switching, redundant power option |
| Management | Web interface, SNMP and alarm reporting |
| Configuration | Interfaces and profiles set for the project before shipment, configuration recorded |
| Application | Transport and aggregation sites, core and edge, regeneration stations, carrier hotels |
| Mounting | Rack mount chassis |
| Compliance | CE, RoHS |
Applications
Transport and Aggregation Sites
Serves the nodes where the packet domain meets the physical layer, so transport equipment on both sides of that boundary takes its reference from one source instead of two.
Core and Edge Locations
Provides the packet time and phase that core and edge platforms need, alongside the frequency and discrete outputs used by equipment that has been in service for years.
Regeneration Stations and Carrier Hotels
Fits sites where many operators and services share a building and where a reference has to be stable, traceable and easy to hand over to another team.
Deployment and Selection Notes
Count the interfaces before choosing the unit. List what each piece of equipment at the site consumes: packet time, frequency on a dedicated port, or a serial time code. The APX-SYNC200 is configured against that list, and the same list is used again at the next similar site, which is how a rollout stays consistent and how a replacement unit can be made to match.
Then plan the reference chain. The GNSS antenna needs the clearest view the site allows, a short low loss cable and surge protection at the entry point, and where a second reference exists, such as a PTP master from the core network, the reference priority order should be set so the node falls back the way the network plan expects rather than the way the equipment happens to choose.
The rest of the timing range covers the remaining pieces of the same plan: GNSS and NTP network time servers where only network time is needed, PTP grandmaster clocks where phase has to be generated at the site, PTP boundary and slave clocks where it has to be carried further down the transport path, and frequency and time code distribution where one reference has to reach many cabinets.
Compatibility
The APX-SYNC200 is configured against the site equipment list and serves both packet based and non-packet interfaces from the same unit. Tell us the equipment types, the signal each one expects and whether a second reference source exists, and we confirm the interfaces, the profiles and the antenna set in one document before the order is released.
Related Products
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the system distribute frequency as well as packet time?
Yes. Packet time and phase are served over Ethernet, and frequency is available on dedicated outputs so that transport equipment receiving it through the physical layer is synchronized from the same reference.
Which telecom profile should be configured?
It depends on the equipment and the operator. Tell us the platform and the profile it expects, and we set and record the configuration before shipment rather than leaving it to be found from the equipment manual at the site.
What happens when satellite reception is lost?
The unit switches to the next reference in the priority list, or holds over on its internal oscillator if no second source is available. Reference source and holdover state are reported to the management system.
Can the same configuration be repeated at every node?
Yes. Interfaces, profiles and the antenna set are recorded per project, so every similar node is configured the same way and later replacements match the installed base.
Why Choose Apex
- One unit serving packet, frequency and discrete interfaces at the same node, instead of three separate reference sources
- Interfaces, profiles and antenna set confirmed with you before the order is released
- Configuration recorded per project so repeat sites stay identical
- Reference priority and alarm reporting, so fallback behaviour is visible rather than assumed
- Backed by a 3 year warranty and technical support on synchronization planning and topology
