Transform a standard x86 server into a validated grandmaster time system — protocol-agnostic, rack-ready, scalable.
Available now at store.timebeat.app — instant ordering, global shipping.
1U
Rack height
NTP + PTP + SyncE
Protocols
Xeon
Processor
Rb upgrade
Holdover option
The Open Time Server is a turnkey 1U platform that ships a validated x86 server, an integrated Open TimeCard (OCXO or Rubidium upgrade), and a pre-configured linuxptp and NTP stack. It turns commodity server hardware into a full grandmaster that speaks NTP, PTP and SyncE from a single chassis — no custom firmware, no closed management plane, and an upgrade path that follows the OCP TAP reference design.
What it does
The Open Time Server ships as a validated combination of server hardware and TimeBeat timing card, tested end to end before delivery. The validation covers GNSS lock time, PTP profile defaults, holdover characterisation and network-interface timestamping accuracy.
NTP, PTP (G.8275.1, G.8275.2, ST 2059-2, default profile) and SyncE all run from the same platform. Deploy as a grandmaster for PTP-aware networks or as an NTP stratum-1 server for legacy environments — or both simultaneously.
Based on Intel Xeon processors and standard server components. The timing capability comes from the integrated Open TimeCard, not from specialty silicon. Replacement parts are commodity; the support model is open.
Ships with OCXO as standard. Rubidium upgrade available for deployments that need multi-hour holdover under GNSS denial. The oscillator module is field-swappable on the Compact tier.
Where it lives
Replace ageing NTP appliances with a standards-based server that delivers stratum-1 NTP and PTP grandmaster from the same rack unit, with traceable UTC and hardware timestamping.
Deploy as the PRTC at cell sites where a separate appliance chassis is overkill. G.8275.1 PTP, SyncE, and rubidium holdover in a standard 1U form factor.
Following Meta's architecture pattern — one Open Time Server per rack, distributing PTP-grade time to every server via hardware-timestamped NICs. Commodity server economics at fleet scale.
Specs
Compact tier
Enterprise tier
Enterprise+ tier
Standards & compliance
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Further reading
Deep-dives from the TimeBeat engineering team on the protocols, profiles and architectures behind every hardware product we ship.
Pillar guide
What a grandmaster actually does, how to choose one, and what separates a grandmaster you can trust from one that quietly drifts.
Pillar guide
How precision timing works in 5G fronthaul networks — the time-error budget, G.8275.1 and what it takes to operate the timing fabric.
Cluster
Choosing between OCXO, double-OCXO and rubidium holdover oscillators — the drift numbers and the deployment scenarios where each is correct.
Library
Product sheets, engineering guides, TCO models and blogs relevant to this hardware.
Why a single-grandmaster deployment is a DORA Article 11 problem, what A/B/C redundancy looks like in a single rack unit, and how the Open Time Appliance Shelf turns three independent Rubidium Black+ grandmasters — with independent GNSS antennas — into the default finance-venue topology for 2026 and beyond.
An engineering decision framework for picking oscillator tier on an Open Time Appliance. Drift maths that matter, real-world holdover scenarios, and where each tier is the right economic answer — not just the best spec sheet.
How the Timebeat Agent fuses GNSS, upstream PTP feeds, PPS inputs and oscillator discipline into a single weighted clock output — the same BIPM-style ensemble approach used to produce UTC itself, applied at the site level.
A virtual grandmaster clock is an IP endpoint that looks like a single PTP grandmaster to downstream clients but is backed by multiple physical Timebeat Agents — redundancy, capacity and failover at the topology level, with a single client-facing configuration.
What a PTP grandmaster clock actually does, how to choose one, and what separates a grandmaster you can trust from one that quietly drifts. Written by TimeBeat's engineering team for network architects deploying IEEE 1588 in production.
How precision timing actually works in 5G fronthaul networks — the time-error budget, the ITU-T accuracy classes, the role of G.8275.1, and what it takes to operate a fronthaul timing fabric without dropping calls or losing handovers. Written by TimeBeat's engineering team for mobile network operators and O-RAN integrators.
