TSN Endpoint Traffic Adaptation for Industrial Automation Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) networks in industrial automation systems face congestion issues due to varying timing requirements of different applications, leading to communication degradation such as jitter, latency, and dropped packets, which existing technologies fail to effectively address.
Innovation Solution
A method and arrangement where endpoint devices in a TSN network detect communication degradation and perform congestion limiting activities, including increasing the application cycle time, adjusting network clock offsets, changing transmission priorities, setting packets to be droppable, and throttling transmissions, to mitigate congestion based on specific degradation types and priorities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If TSN network enables coexistence of different traffic types with different timing requirements, then network versatility is improved, but network congestion occurs leading to communication degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the application cycle time based on detected communication degradation. When degradation is detected, the cycle time is increased adaptively to reduce traffic load and alleviate congestion, allowing the system to respond to changing network conditions while maintaining versatility for different traffic types
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of application cycle time in response to communication degradation. By increasing this parameter, the system reduces the frequency of data transmissions, thereby reducing network congestion and improving communication reliability without sacrificing the ability to handle multiple traffic types
2Productivity
If application cycle time is increased to reduce congestion, then network congestion is reduced, but timing requirements of time-sensitive applications may not be met
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by monitoring communication degradation indicators and using this information to adjust the application cycle time. This closed-loop approach ensures that cycle time increases are made only when necessary to alleviate congestion, and adjustments are based on actual network conditions rather than fixed schedules
Solution Approach 2:
The application cycle time is made dynamic rather than static, allowing it to be adjusted in response to real-time network conditions. This enables the system to maintain timing requirements when network conditions are good while increasing cycle time to reduce congestion when degradation is detected
3Reliability
If congestion limiting activities are performed to improve communication, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The endpoint device performs self-service by autonomously detecting communication degradation and selecting appropriate congestion limiting activities without requiring external control or complex coordination with other network elements. This reduces overall system complexity while improving communication reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and implements a specific subset of congestion limiting activities (such as increasing application cycle time) that can be effectively performed by endpoint devices. By focusing on a manageable set of activities rather than attempting to implement all possible congestion management mechanisms, the device complexity is kept reasonable
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method, arrangement, computer program and computer program product for improving communication between devices (42, 44, 46, 48) of an industrial automation system running automation applications as well as to such an industrial automation system. The devices (42, 44, 46, 48) comprise a first and a second endpoint device (42, 44) of a communication path (Pi) for a data stream through a time sensitive network (40) and for which a corresponding application has an application cycle time at which the first and second endpoint device (42, 44) are to transmit data to each other. The first endpoint device (42) detects a communication degradation of the data stream, which communication degradation is indicative of congestion and performs a congestion limiting activity from a group of congestion limiting activities, which group at least comprises an activity of increasing the application cycle time of the data stream.