samstilling

Samstilling, or synchronisation, is the process of bringing two or more systems into alignment so they can operate together safely and efficiently. The term comes from Norwegian sam- "together" and stilling "position or arrangement." It covers technical and organizational contexts where timing or state must be matched.

In electrical power engineering, samstilling refers to synchronizing generators or power converters with a grid. Before connecting in parallel, the voltage, frequency, and phase of the machines are matched within specified tolerances to avoid transient currents and damage.

In IT and telecommunications, clock synchronization ensures consistent timekeeping across devices and distributed systems. Protocols such as NTP and PTP align clocks to a reference time, enabling ordered events, accurate logging, and coordinated actions.

Methods include measurement of signals, phase-locked loops, time references, and automatic protective controls. In practice, samstilling reduces risk of instability, wear, or data inconsistencies, at the cost of added system complexity.

See also: synchronization, timing, clock synchronization, generator synchronization.