Clock Synchronization

Overview

This guide provides an overview of high-precision clock synchronization mechanisms, including the Precision Time Protocol (PTP), a protocol for clock synchronization supported in RBFS, and covers its configuration and operational commands. PTP is used to synchronize clocks across a network with high precision, achieving accuracy in the nanosecond range.

PTP synchronizes clocks by exchanging timestamped messages between devices. The slave device calculates the clock offset and network delay, then continuously adjusts its clock using a servo algorithm for smooth and precise synchronization. A Hardware Clock (PHC) ensures nanosecond precision for timestamps.

The diagram below illustrates how the master clock serves as the reference time source, and the slave clocks (Switch-1 and Switch-2) synchronize their time to that of the master.

Clock Synchronization Overview

RBFS supports the following PTP profiles and standards:

  • IEEE 1588-2008: Describes the IEEE 1588-2008 standard for Precision Time Protocol (PTP) used in clock synchronization.

  • ITU-T G.8275.1: Defines the timing requirements for packet-based networks to support time-sensitive applications.

In addition, RBFS supports PTP operation at Layer 2.

Licensing Requirements

Clock synchronization requires a separate license to be procured from RtBrick, in addition to other licenses.

Supported Platforms

Not all features are supported on every hardware platform. Refer to the Feature Support Matrix section of the Platform Guide for details about which features and sub-features are supported on each platform.