IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol

Thanks to the availability of real-time extensions and low-cost components, Ethernet is increasingly used in automation and metrology. For many automation applications, exact time synchronization of controls, sensors and actuators within a network or even between several networks is vital. One possibility for this is offered by the “Precision Clock synchronization Protocol for Networked Mea-surement and Control Systems” or „Precision Time Protocol” (PTP) for short, which is defined by the IEEE standard 1588. However, the protocol only provides the basis: maximum precision for synchronization requires support from suitable hardware. The following text describes how IEEE 1588 PTP works and what hardware-based solutions are suitable for it…

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