Hardware PTP Follower for Faster Clock Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clock synchronization methods, such as Precision Time Protocol (PTP), suffer from inaccuracies due to frequency drift and momentary frequency jitter between network devices, leading to errors in one-way latency measurements.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a hardware accelerator with packet processing circuitry in network devices to identify and generate synchronization messages directly, reducing the time difference between message exchanges and enhancing clock synchronization accuracy by performing processing tasks in hardware rather than software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If clock synchronization is achieved using software-based PTP message processing, then implementation flexibility is maintained, but processing time increases and synchronization accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based message processing with hardware-based processing. The network device uses hardware circuitry to automatically generate, send, and timestamp synchronization messages, eliminating the delays inherent in software processing and achieving sub-microsecond synchronization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware accelerator pre-configures message templates and timestamps messages at the moment of generation rather than processing them later in software. This preliminary hardware-level action reduces the overall processing time and improves synchronization precision.
2Productivity
If hardware accelerator is used for message processing, then processing speed and synchronization accuracy improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network device into distinct functional modules: hardware accelerator for message processing, timing unit for timestamp generation, and control unit for coordination. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hardware accelerator is designed to handle multiple synchronization protocols and message types through configurable parameters, reducing the need for separate dedicated hardware for each function and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If frequency drift between devices is not compensated, then system simplicity is maintained, but measurement accuracy of one-way latency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the receiving device measures the actual arrival time of synchronization messages and reports timing deviations back to the transmitting device. The transmitting device uses this feedback to adjust its message timing, compensating for frequency drift and improving one-way latency measurement accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a system includes a hardware clock to maintain a clock time, and a network device including a network interface to receive a first time-synchronization message from a clock synchronization leader as part of a two-way time synchronization protocol, and a hardware accelerator to identify the first time-synchronization message, cause generation and sending of a second time-synchronization message to the clock synchronization leader in response to identifying the first time synchronization message, and provide timing information associated with the first time-synchronization message and the second time-synchronization message to time-synchronization software running on a host device to synchronize the hardware clock to the clock synchronization leader.