EE 1588 is a new protocol that enables very accurate synchronisation over Ethernet LANs and for the first time, offers users the ability to synchronise clocks within better than one hundred nanoseconds accuracy, with only a network connection.
"Symmetricom is the first to offer an IEEE 1588 based solution for time and frequency synchronisation applications, and in doing so, will provide customer guidance in 1588 acceptance and verification testing, adoption and deployments during the infancy of this technology," commented the product marketing manager at Symmetricom. "The coupling of the IEEE 1588 protocol with hardware time stamping is a breakthrough technology that will reshape synchronisation applications going forward, and is the next-generation protocol in time transfer and synchronisation."
IEEE 1588 enables sub-microsecond time-of-day synchronisation between clocks over standard Ethernet LAN infrastructure. Previously 1 to 10 microsecond time of day synchronisation was the de facto standard using IRIG-B with dedicated coaxial cabling and 1 to 10 milliseconds was the typical synchronisation accuracy using Ethernet and the Network Time Protocol (NTP). High accuracy time distributed over standard Ethernet LAN infrastructure offers compelling benefits in the areas of cable infrastructure costs savings (i.e. no parallel timing and data networks); improved accuracy for distributed measurements and processes; improved control system techniques; and leveraging the innovation/investment wave of network centric technology and solutions.
As an increasing number of applications integrate Ethernet and the benefits of speed, flexibility and connectivity are exploited, IEEE 1588 is expected to be adopted as an enabling technology across numerous applications because it will change the way problems are solved. The standard is already being deployed in applications in industrial automation, turbine control systems and submarine sonar systems. As this trend continues and performance requirements become more stringent, demand for more precise timing and synchronisation via Ethernet is also expected to increase.
The Boeing Company is the first customer to deploy the XLi IEEE 1588 Grandmaster clock. It will be implemented in the new 787 network based flight test data system. Boeing chose the XLi due to its modularity and Symmetricom's commitment to Boeing to deliver IEEE 1588 functionality.
About Symmetricom Inc.
As a worldwide leader in precise time and frequency products and services, Symmetricom provides "Perfect Timing" to customers around the world, including communication service providers, network equipment manufacturers, US Department of Defense (DOD), aerospace contractors, enterprises, governments and research facilities. Since 1985, the company's timing, frequency and synchronisation solutions have helped define the world's standards, delivering precision, reliability and efficiency to wireless and wireline networks, instrumentation and testing applications and network time management. Deployed in more than 90 countries, instrumentation products include atomic clocks, cesium and rubidium standards, VME, VXI, crystal oscillators, Bus Timing, PCI cards and Global Positioning System (GPS) solutions for instrumentation applications, alphanumeric displays, as well as network time servers for Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronisation and time synchronisation solutions. In 2002, Symmetricom acquired TrueTime and Datum, enhancing its position in the world time and frequency markets. Symmetricom is based in San Jose, Calif., with offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.symmetricom.com. |
