Time code ambiguity

In telecommunication, time code ambiguity is the shortest interval between successive repetitions of the same time code value.

For example, in a time code in which year-of-century is the most slowly changing field, the time code ambiguity would be 100 years; for a digital clock in which hours and minutes up to a maximum of 11:59 are displayed, the time code ambiguity would be 12 hours.

Source: from Federal Standard 1037C

The Year 2000 bug could be regarded as an example of the pitfalls of time code ambiguity.