The Synchronization (SYNC) is the process of coordinating two or more events or processes in time. In electronics and digital systems, it is crucial for ensuring that different components operate together in an orderly and predictable manner. This is often achieved by using a common timing signal, known as a clock signal. All synchronized components use the rising or falling edge of this clock signal as a reference to perform their actions, ensuring everything happens in the correct sequence. For test and measurement systems, synchronization is often critical.
For example, you might want to change the output voltage of a power supply and, at the exact same moment, have a digital multimeter take a measurement of the device under test's response. Without proper synchronization, the measurement might be taken too early or too late, leading to invalid results. Instruments can be synchronized in several ways. They can share a physical trigger signal via BNC cables (a common trigger input/output). Modern LXI-compliant instruments can also be synchronized with high precision over an Ethernet network using protocols like IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol or LXI's own triggering mechanisms.
The opposite of synchronous operation is asynchronous, where there is no shared clock, and timing is managed using other signals like start and stop bits in RS-232C communication.