RME TCO-HDSP Time Code Option Board for HDSP and HDSPe Cards

RME TCO-HDSP: LTC Time-Code Sync for HDSP and HDSPe Systems

The RME TCO-HDSP is an internal time-code option board that adds LTC time-code capability to select RME HDSP and HDSPe cards. It connects directly to the HDSP AES-32, HDSPe AES-32, HDSPe MADI, HDSP or HDSPe 9632, and HDSPe PCI cards through a flat ribbon cable and mounts on a bracket in a free chassis slot. Its job is to let an RME system read and generate time code so audio can lock frame-accurately to video and other machines. For post-production and broadcast rooms running RME cards, it is the piece that brings the system into a time-code workflow.

Reads LTC, Video, or Word Clock and Extracts Position

The board receives LTC, PAL or NTSC video, or word clock and extracts both an absolute position and a low-jitter clock from the incoming reference. LTC, or Longitudinal Time Code, encodes hours, minutes, seconds, and frames as an audio-band signal that machines use to agree on an exact playback position. By decoding that signal, the TCO-HDSP tells the RME system precisely where the timeline is so it can chase and lock to the master. Extracting a clean clock alongside the position is what keeps the locked audio stable rather than drifting.

Sample-Accurate Sync of Audio to Video

Because the board derives its clock from the incoming reference, it can align the RME system's audio to a video source with sample accuracy. Sample-accurate sync means every audio sample lands in a fixed relationship to the picture, which is essential when audio is edited against video frames in post. Without a shared, decoded time reference, audio and video slowly slip out of alignment over a long program. The TCO-HDSP removes that drift by tying the audio engine to the same time code the picture uses.

Multiple Frame Rates with Drop and Non-Drop

The option supports the standard broadcast and film frame rates of 24, 25, 29.97, and 30 fps, in both drop-frame and non-drop forms. Frame rate and the drop-frame convention define how time code counts against real time, so matching them to the project is what keeps the numbers honest across a full program. Handling 29.97 drop-frame in particular is what lets an NTSC broadcast timeline stay true to the clock over long durations. Supporting the full set means the board fits film, PAL, and NTSC workflows alike.

BNC Outputs for Post-Production and Broadcast Rooms

The board provides a BNC LTC output with two jumper-selectable levels plus a BNC word clock output to feed the rest of a facility. Two output levels let the LTC match the input sensitivity of whatever machine receives it, and a dedicated word clock output distributes the derived reference to other digital gear. This makes the TCO-HDSP a genuine sync hub for a room built around an HDSPe MADI or AES-32 card. In film and television studios, it is the bridge between an RME audio system and the facility's time-code and clock infrastructure.