Avionics Port Rate Smoothing for Jitter Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Avionics networks face challenges in handling simultaneous packet arrivals due to peak ingress loads, leading to increased memory requirements and traffic jitter, which will worsen with next-generation gigabit speeds.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a communication network with ports that introduce a time delay after each frame transmission based on the maximum transmission rate, effectively simulating a lower bit-rate to prevent data loss and reduce latency and jitter, allowing for simpler switch designs and deterministic latency and jitter bounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network switches are designed to handle large peak ingress loads, then data loss is minimized, but internal memory size requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary rate limiting at the port level by introducing time delays between frame transmissions. This prevents peak loads from occurring in the first place, eliminating the need for large buffer memories to handle sudden traffic bursts. The port controller regulates outgoing traffic rates before packets enter the switch core.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the rate control function from the switch core and places it at the port level. By handling traffic regulation at the edge (port controllers) rather than in the center (switch core), the system reduces the burden on internal memory while maintaining data loss prevention.
2Productivity
If network switches handle simultaneous packet arrivals, then throughput is maintained, but traffic jitter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic transmission intervals at each port by introducing time delays between frame transmissions. This creates a more uniform, periodic traffic pattern that reduces jitter while maintaining steady throughput. The port controller enforces minimum inter-frame gaps to smooth traffic bursts.
3Speed
If higher transmission speeds are implemented, then network capacity increases, but latency and memory requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-regulating traffic rates at port level before high-speed transmission, the system prevents latency spikes that would otherwise require large buffers to manage. The rate limiting ensures smooth traffic flow through the high-speed network without sudden bursts that cause queuing delays.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication network is provided. The network includes a least one switch and a plurality of ports. Each port is in communication with the at least one switch. At least one of the ports is configured to introduce a time delay after each transmission of a frame based at least in part on a maximum transmission rate of the at least one port and its allocated transmission rate.