APX-SYNC400 Power Grid Time Synchronization System
Product Overview
The APEX APX-SYNC400 is a power grid time synchronization system for substations and control rooms. It provides one time reference to protection relays, control units, merging units and supervisory systems, so that events recorded by different devices can be placed on the same timeline afterwards.
Substation equipment is unforgiving about time. Disturbance records, protection operations, switch status changes and sequence of events logs are collected from many devices, and the value of those records depends on their order. An offset of a few milliseconds is enough to reverse the apparent cause and effect of an operation, and a reference that drifts unnoticed will only be discovered during the investigation that matters most.
The APX-SYNC400 locks to GPS and BeiDou, disciplines its internal oscillator so accuracy is maintained through short interruptions, and distributes time in the forms substation equipment expects: time code on dedicated pairs for relays that still use it, PTP over Ethernet for digital substation equipment, and 1PPS and 10MHz for measurement and recording systems. Reference priority, holdover state and satellite conditions are reported to the control room, so a degraded reference is known before it becomes a question in an incident report.
It is used in transmission and distribution substations, in generation plants, in control centres that collect data from many substations, and in industrial sites that operate their own high voltage infrastructure.
Key Features
- One time reference for protection, control, measurement and supervisory equipment
- GNSS reference from GPS and BeiDou with oscillator disciplining
- Time code outputs on dedicated pairs for relays and recorders that expect them
- PTP over Ethernet for digital substation and Ethernet based control equipment
- 1PPS and 10MHz outputs for measurement, recording and test systems
- Holdover on the internal oscillator through short interruptions of the satellite reference
- Reference priority with automatic switching and a second reference input
- Alarm and status reporting for reference source, lock, holdover and antenna conditions
- Antenna, cable and surge protection supplied as one matched set, with the surge protection rated for the entry point
- Configuration and output mapping recorded per substation so repeat sites match
- Optional redundant power supply in line with substation practice
- CE and RoHS compliant, supplied with a test report and a 3 year warranty
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|
| Part Number | APX-SYNC400 |
| Product Type | Power grid time synchronization system |
| GNSS Reference | GPS and BeiDou timing configurations |
| Time Code Outputs | Time code on dedicated pairs for relays, recorders and supervisory equipment |
| Packet Time | PTP over Ethernet for digital substation equipment |
| Physical Outputs | 1PPS and 10MHz outputs for measurement and recording systems |
| Holdover | Internal oscillator disciplined to the satellite reference, holdover maintained through short interruptions |
| Reference Inputs | GNSS antenna input, external reference input for a second source |
| Network Time | NTP and SNTP for control room servers and workstations |
| Network Interfaces | Multiple Ethernet ports |
| Redundancy | Reference priority with automatic switching, redundant power option |
| Management | Web interface, SNMP and alarm reporting |
| Surge Protection | Antenna entry surge protection supplied with the matched antenna and cable set |
| Configuration | Output mapping and interfaces set for the substation before shipment, configuration recorded |
| Application | Transmission and distribution substations, generation plants, control centres |
| Mounting | Rack mount chassis |
| Compliance | CE, RoHS |
Applications
Transmission and Distribution Substations
Supplies the reference that protection and control devices, disturbance recorders and sequence of events logs share, so an operation can be reconstructed in the right order.
Generation Plants
Gives turbine, excitation, protection and plant monitoring systems one time base for event recording and for correlation with grid side records.
Control Centres
Collects data from many substations into one timeline, which requires that each substation reference is traceable and that its degradation is visible at the centre.
Deployment and Selection Notes
Map the outputs before choosing the unit. Take the substation device list and note, for each device, whether it consumes time code, packet time or a pulse and frequency reference. Multicore cable runs and output mapping are then configured to that list, and the same mapping is used at the next substation of the same design.
Treat the antenna entry as part of the design. The antenna has to be mounted where it sees the satellites, the cable run should be as short as the site allows, and surge protection belongs at the point where the cable enters the building rather than at the equipment. For sites where continuity of the reference matters most, a second clock on a separate antenna path with the same priority settings is a practical redundancy arrangement.
The rest of the timing range covers related requirements: GNSS and NTP network time servers for control room networks, PTP boundary and slave clocks where time has to be carried to further bays, and frequency and time code distribution where one reference must reach many cubicles.
Compatibility
The APX-SYNC400 is configured against the substation device list and serves time code, packet time and pulse outputs from one unit. Send us the device types and the signal each one expects, and we confirm the output mapping, the interfaces and the antenna set in one document, so the substation design can be reviewed before the order is released.
Related Products
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does holdover matter in a substation?
Because the reference can be interrupted while the protection and control functions must keep running. Holdover keeps the time base stable until the satellite reference is recovered, and its state is reported so the gap is known.
Which output should be used for older relays?
Equipment that was installed before packet based time uses a dedicated time code or pulse reference. Send us the relay types and we confirm which output pair each one is wired to.
Can two clocks be used in the same substation?
Yes, and it is a common arrangement where continuity is critical. The second clock is fed from a separate antenna path and the reference priority settings are aligned, so the two units behave predictably.
Is a permanent satellite view required?
The antenna has to see the satellites at its mounting point, which is why the antenna position and the cable entry are treated as part of the design rather than as an afterthought.
Why Choose Apex
- One reference for protection, control, measurement and supervisory equipment in the same substation
- Output mapping and interface list confirmed with you before the order is released
- Antenna, cable and entry surge protection quoted as a matched set
- Holdover state and reference alarms reported to the control room
- Backed by a 3 year warranty and technical support on synchronization planning and topology
