PTP for use with standard network cards

Software-only solution synchronizes distributed devices with high accuracy and eliminates the need for additional hardware

Real-Time Systems (RTS), a leader in real- time software development, has introduced their software-only implementation of the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol.

The new software eliminates the need for hardware-based timestamping and delivers possible accuracies of +/- five microseconds or better.

The company expects the software to find wide use in instrumentation, automation systems and process control networks.

In the past, all implementations of the IEEE 1588 protocol requiring high accuracy also required hardware-implemented timestamping.

Typically hardware-implemented timestamping adds extra non-standard components and costs.

The RTS implementation achieves high accuracy using only common network interfaces, and does not require hardware-implemented timestamping.

The new product includes all servo algorithms, regulators, filters, PTP-Clock based on hardware timer and direct Timer access.

The RTS IEEE 1588 stack is fully tested and comes complete with documentation and an example implementation on VxWorks for x86.

The RTS IEEE 1588 Software Protocol Stack is available with source code to qualified customers.

The RTS IEEE 1588 Master and Slave software stack incorporates the full specification and functionality of the Precision Clock synchronisation Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems (PTP).

Through PTP, multiple devices are automatically synchronised with the most accurate clock found in a packet-based network - typically Ethernet.

The RTS protocol stack automatically determines the most accurate clock, otherwise known as the Grand Master Clock.

During operation and after initial synchronisation, the PTP real-time clocks are constantly adjusted by exchanging timing messages.

The RTS implementation uses statistical techniques to further reduce residual fluctuations.

Because the RTS IEEE 1588 protocol stack supports the PTP hot-pluggable functionality requirement, devices may join or leave the network at any time.

The software is simple, administration free and requires minimal resources of host components or networks.

To monitor, tune and analyse a PTP network, Open Source Tools are available for free.

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