초록 ▼

A variety of enhancements to a time synchronization protocol for a distributed system including techniques for improving accuracy by separating a unique timing point from a delimiter for the timing data packet. The enhancements include techniques that compensate for jitter associated with communicat

A variety of enhancements to a time synchronization protocol for a distributed system including techniques for improving accuracy by separating a unique timing point from a delimiter for the timing data packet. The enhancements include techniques that compensate for jitter associated with communication circuitry in the distributed system including jitter associated with physical interfaces and gateways in the distributed system. These techniques may involve specialized circuitry in the communication circuitry to compensate for jitter or special processing of received timing data packets or the introduction of follow up packets that inform receiving nodes of measured jitter or a combination of these techniques.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A distributed system, comprising:first node having a local clock and circuitry that generates a timing data packet and a follow up packet, the timing data packet having a unique timing point and a delimiter and the follow up packet having a time-stamp obtained from the

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A distributed system, comprising:first node having a local clock and circuitry that generates a timing data packet and a follow up packet, the timing data packet having a unique timing point and a delimiter and the follow up packet having a time-stamp obtained from the local clock that indicates a time at which the timing data packet is generated;second node having circuitry that receives the timing data packet and the follow up packet via the communication link, the second node having a local clock and circuitry that obtains a local time value from the local clock when the unique timing point is detected and that discards the local time value if the delimiter is not detected, such that a difference between the time-stamp of the follow up packet and the local time value if not discarded indicates a relative synchronization of the local clocks, the second node having circuitry for adjusting the local time value in the local clock in response to the difference.