Why Can't ETC Make an Accurate Clock
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techieman33
Well-Known Member
I don't know that you can lay the blame on ETC for this one. The clock is usually controlled at a much deeper level in the OS. A lot of computers struggle with time keeping, but since they're regularly getting updated from the internet we don't really notice it. On a console that never gets any time updates it becomes a lot more apparent.
BillConnerFASTC
Well-Known Member
Yup, that's pretty much it. RTC [real time clock] chips, whether as a separate chip or built into a CPU, are never 100% accurate. So yes, they do drift in one direction or another depending on their design, temperature, etc. And they would indeed keep time better if connected to a time service such as achieved over the internet.
Now, it could be that there is an out of range or defective RTC, but this is usually easily seen by having time shifts of many minutes to ten of minutes a day or hour.
I did get a call one time from a very mad LD that had gone into overtime, unknowingly, on a cueing session because of following the clock in an Obsession. The RTC in that console was indeed bad and was slowing down time by more than 15 minutes an hour. Ouch.
David
Amiers
Renting to Corporate One Fixture at a Time.
It would of been very hard for me to not laugh. What was your reaction.
Dionysus
Well-Known Member
So you don't overclock?
sross01986
Member
I don't have to do that on my [insert range of other consoles here]
WayfarerAM
Member
I hoestly haven't met a console or a piece of gear that has an interanl RTC that I would call acurate. I work on a large GrandMA 2 based system and its the worst at staying in sync with the real work. Between the consoles (switched off at night) and the processor units (which are pretty much always on) you'd figure something would be correct. Other peices of gear on the show like of JoeCo's for lasers are even worse. I really hase something to do with using cheaper RTCs as its not really a show cirtical thing. I would suspect that most computers are just as bad but they sync with the internet and you never notice.
It isn't really ETC's fault. They are at the mercy of the component industry. The crystals for clock chips are junk and that's what is available without spending huge money and requiring an assembly tech to calibrate the frequency. Take any computer, disconnect it from a network so that it has no external time reference, and let it go a week. It'll be off by many minutes.
The frustrating part for me is that resetting the clock on the Ion is such a pain. I wish there was a way to do it without rebooting the system. Don't understand why it's set up that way......
But I have had the fun experience of getting the Ion to boot into the Windows desktop that runs underneath the whole thing. That was neat.
But I have had the fun experience of getting the Ion to boot into the Windows desktop that runs underneath the whole thing. That was neat.
firewater88
Active Member
I take it that if you set the clock 14 minutes fast, it would still be wrong.
Moose Hatrack
Active Member
My PMD661 recorder loses a couple minutes per month. My VHS VCR blinks 12:00.
firewater88
Active Member
Yeah, tried that and still reverts back to slow. I just gave up... The whole system is getting on its last legs anyway..
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