ReSynchronisation

Resynchronisation is the process of restoring alignment between two or more signals, timelines, or streams that have become out of sync due to clock drift, transmission errors, delay, or discontinuities. It is a broad concept used in several technical domains to ensure correct interpretation, playback, or coordination.

In digital communications and signal processing, resynchronisation refers to recovering timing and phase so that the receiver can correctly sample and decode transmitted data. Techniques include using pilot symbols or training sequences, carrier phase recovery, and symbol-timing recovery implemented with phase-locked loops. Resynchronisation may be required after a loss of lock, a pause in transmission, or significant channel disturbance, often by re-establishing a reference clock or reset pattern.

In multimedia streaming and broadcasting, resynchronisation addresses drift between audio and video or across different streams caused by jitter, encoding/decoding delays, or buffering strategies. Methods include adjusting playback timing, buffering strategies, and timestamp-based alignment to maintain lip-sync and coherent playback.

In distributed systems and network timekeeping, resynchronisation refers to re-aligning local clocks with a reference time after drift or network partitions. Protocols such as the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) implement mechanisms to correct offsets and skew, aiming for a common time base across nodes. Some systems employ periodic or event-driven resynchronisation to sustain accuracy and consistency.

Resynchronisation also occurs in other contexts, such as music production or sensor arrays, where timing discrepancies are corrected to preserve coordination and sampling integrity.