VLAN Isolated Time Server Switching for IEEE 1588 Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In IEEE 1588-based time synchronization systems, when multiple time servers are present in the same network, the risk of timing accuracy loss occurs due to malfunctioning or restoration of a time server, leading to potential timing drift and communication device synchronization issues.
Innovation Solution
A communication device connected to multiple time servers via a network with transfer devices, utilizing VLAN IDs to isolate time servers and enable seamless switching between primary and secondary time servers, ensuring continuous synchronization by calculating and adjusting clock rates based on time errors detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple time servers are deployed in the same network for redundancy, then reliability is improved, but timing accuracy deteriorates due to potential malfunctioning affecting all servers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into multiple isolated domains using VLANs, where each domain contains its own time servers. This segmentation prevents malfunctioning in one domain from affecting time servers in other domains, thus maintaining timing accuracy while preserving reliability through redundancy across domains.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces domain isolation as an intermediary mechanism between time servers. By using VLANs as intermediaries, the system allows multiple time servers to coexist without direct interference, enabling the system to maintain both reliability (through multiple servers) and timing accuracy (by isolating failures).
2Adaptability or versatility
If time servers negotiate internal conditions in IEEE 1588, then adaptability is improved, but stability deteriorates when a server malfunctions and affects others
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the time server negotiation process into domain-specific negotiations. Each domain independently negotiates its time servers without affecting other domains, thus maintaining adaptability within domains while improving overall stability by containing negotiation disruptions locally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes domain isolation as a preliminary structural arrangement before time server negotiation occurs. This preliminary segmentation ensures that even if negotiation issues arise in one domain, they cannot propagate to affect other domains, thus maintaining stability while preserving adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, provided is a communication device connected to time servers via a network with transfer devices. In the communication device: a network controller receives a message containing time information counted by the time server and containing a network identifier, and obtains a receiving timing of the message; a network processing unit, when the network identifier in the message does not match with any network identifier, destroys the message; a protocol processing unit, when the network identifier has a match, calculates a time error by the time information in the message and the receiving timing, detects whether a first time server is malfunctioning, and when detected the first time server malfunctioning, outputs the time error calculated by a network identifier assigned to a second time server; a servo calculates an operation amount by the time error; and a clock varies a clock rate according to the operation amount.