The 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock Generator is a broadcast quality, master sync pulse generator (SPG) and a master clock. It provides all of the synchronizing signals needed in a 21st century TV station or post production facility at the same time as solving the problem of locking the in-house master clock system to the master video sync pulse generator.

A high stability, temperature controlled oscillator, provides the 5601MSC with better than 1.0x10-8 (or 0.01ppm) frequency reference. The free running drift of this 10MHz reference will be less than 0.1Hz (which amounts to less than one millisecond time drift per day). This guarantees that any frequency drift, with time and temperature, will be within the tolerances expected from the best SPGs or master clocks available in the industry. The 5601MSC may also be referenced to an external 5MHz or 10MHz master oscillator if higher stability is required. Both the SPG and the Master Clock section of the 5601MSC may be referenced to high stability time and frequency standards present in the Global Position System (GPS) by adding the GPS option (+GP).

The SPG section of the 5601MSC provides six timeable reference outputs. These six BNC outputs may be configured to provide independently timed color black (black burst) outputs or independently timed HDTV tri-level sync outputs. Each color black output can optionally carry vertical interval time code (VITC) on a user specified set of lines. Additionally, each output can provide 10MHz, 5MHz, PAL Subcarrier, NTSC Subcarrier, 1 PPS, 1/1.001 PPS, 6/1.001 PPS, PAL color frame pulse and 48kHz wordclock.