Serial Time Code

Editing devices which can be controlled by computers, have a connection called a “serial control port” or RS422 port. These devices communicate with the computer and are controlled via commands in a serial data protocol. Serial Time Code is a means of transmitting time code over the same data stream that carries this control information for the purposes of synchronization. Some of these devices have no SMPTE Time Code port, but send and receive time code via these control ports. Other devices send and receive only transport commands over their serial ports, but require a conventional time code connection in order to read time code.