TSN Network Card Internal Time Determination via Packet Launch
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-performance networking setups, TSN network cards experience timer overload and inaccuracy when transmitting high volumes of packets, leading to unacceptable delays in expiry notifications, and requesting the current time from the network card is disruptive and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generate initial packets with a launch time parameter, send them to the TSN network card, and determine the internal time using the transmit completion signal, allowing synchronization of clocks without directly requesting the time from the network card.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the TSN network card transmits high volume of packets, then packet transmission capability is improved, but system timer accuracy deteriorates due to overload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism using TSN packets with launch time parameters as carriers to indirectly determine the network card's internal time. Instead of directly querying the overloaded timer, the system uses packet transmission timing as a mediator to infer the network card's time, thereby avoiding direct interaction with the overloaded timer while still obtaining time information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical timer-based time query mechanism with a packet-based time inference mechanism. Instead of using the overloaded system timer to directly read the network card time, the system substitutes this with a method that uses packet launch time parameters and transmission completion signals to calculate and infer the network card's internal time, bypassing the mechanical timer limitation.
2Loss of information
If the system requests current time from the TSN network card, then time information is obtained, but system disruption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the computing device independently determines the TSN network card's internal time using packet transmission timing information, without requiring the network card to provide time information directly. The network card simply performs its normal packet transmission function, while the computing device extracts time information from the transmission timing, making the network card serve its primary function while inadvertently providing time data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts time information from the packet transmission process itself rather than requesting it separately. By taking out the time determination function from the traditional direct query mechanism and embedding it within the normal packet transmission flow, the system obtains time information as a byproduct of regular operations, avoiding additional system disruption.
3Measurement precision
If traditional clock synchronization is used, then time accuracy is improved, but packet transmission efficiency deteriorates due to delays and packet loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the clock synchronization function with the packet transmission function. Instead of separating time query operations from packet transmission operations, the system combines them by using packet transmission timing as the basis for determining the network card's internal time. This integration eliminates the need for separate synchronization operations that would cause delays and packet loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous packet transmission without interruption for time synchronization purposes. By determining the network card's time from the timing of actual packet transmissions rather than pausing transmission to query time, the system ensures continuous useful action, avoiding the breaks and delays that would otherwise occur in traditional synchronization methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining an internal time of a time-sensitive networking (TSN) network card includes generating at least one initial packet with a launch time parameter at a computing device. The computing device sends the at least one initial packet to a TSN network card for transmission and receives a transmit completion signal from the TSN network card confirming that the TSN network card transmitted the at least one initial packet. The computing device determines an approximate current internal time of the TSN network card using the launch time parameter and the received transmit completion signal.