Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things projects work towards adoption of standard IT technologies for real-time control networks in industrial automation. For this the IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Task Group has developed and continues to develop a set of standards. One of these standards is the IEEE 802.1AS clock synchronization protocol. IEEE 802.1AS can be used to enable time-triggered communication as well as to coordinate distributed actions in industrial networks. In this paper we study the synchronization quality of IEEE 802.1AS and we are interested in whether the clocks can be synchronized with sufficiently low error such that the protocol can be used for demanding industrial automation applications. In particular, we study the protocol behavior in large-scale networks while considering critical implementation details. We report analytical worst-case results as well as probabilistic results based on simulations, that show that implementation details such as the PHY jitter and the clock granularity have a big impact on the time synchronization precision.

Synchronization Quality of IEEE 802.1AS in Large-Scale Industrial Automation Networks

The precision time protocol (PTP) is considered as one of the most favorable mechanisms for providing unified and precise time at the substation level in the smart grid. Nevertheless, PTP was shown to be vulnerable to cyber-attacks targeting its components and synchronization services. In this article, we capitalize on the theory and outcome of our previous work to contribute a more complete solution that addresses PTP cyber security. We propose to close the PTP loop through an extension that introduces new functionality and messages. This extension covers the PTP attack surface and enables the detection of attacks on PTP time synchronization. We formally model and verify the proposed extension using UPPAAL model checker. In addition, we validate the proposed extension using Omnet++ simulation. The evaluation demonstrates that our approach preserves PTP functionality, while successfully detecting cyber attacks against PTP components in a timely manner.

An Extension to the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to Enable the Detection of Cyber Attacks

The IEEE 1588 precision time protocol (PTP) is a time synchronization protocol with sub-microsecond precision primarily designed for wired networks. In this letter, we propose wireless precision time protocol (WPTP) as an extension to PTP for multi-hop wireless networks. WPTP significantly reduces the convergence time and the number of packets required for synchronization without compromising on the synchronization accuracy.

Wireless Precision Time Protocol

Precise time synchronization becomes a vital constituent due to the rigorous needs of several time-sensitive applications. The clock synchronization protocol is one of the fundamental factors that can define the quality of communication. Our study starts with a brief discussion on the application domain of precise time synchronization and comes with an in-depth study of the synchronization with the main focus on the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP). We have compared the well-known synchronization techniques and conclude that the PTP is the most appropriate answer to robust clock synchronization though challenges are there that requires thoughtful efforts and modification in the current version. The working mechanism and main components of the PTP network are discussed. We have established a testbench using commercially available devices and development boards to evaluate the PTP performance under different configurations. Major sources of synchronization error and other aspects contributing to precision are examined. This paper discussed numerous approaches that could enhance the performance of the PTP protocol. Structures for PTP based wireless clock synchronization required by advanced applications has also been discussed. In the end, paper focuses on the main industrial application areas in which PTP plays an important role, including WLAN, optical data centers, Smart grid, IEC 61850, etc. We conclude the paper by identifying the future trends and research directions for PTP based clock synchronization.

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IEEE 1588 for Clock Synchronization in Industrial IoT and Related Applications: A Review on Contributing Technologies, Protocols and Enhancement Methodologies

A datacenter, which is a highly distributed multiprocessing system, needs to keep accurate track of time across a large number of machines. Precise time synchronization has become a critical component due to stringent requirements of several time critical applications such as real-time big data analytics, high-performance computing, and financial trading. Our study starts with a survey on the most relevant time synchronization techniques for datacenter networks. Then, we propose a zero-overhead microsecond-accuracy solution to synchronize a packet-switched optical network for datacenters. To achieve the desired time accuracy, we consider precision time protocol to synchronize the server clocks with a central controller clock. Zero-overhead is maintained by using data traffic to carry the time messages instead of a separate control channel. Through simulation, we show that microsecond level of time accuracy can be achieved. We also discuss the dependency of the accuracy on different traffic loads, traffic distributions, and packet lengths.

A survey on high-precision time synchronization techniques for optical datacenter networks and a zero-overhead microsecond-accuracy solution

IEEE 1588 specifies the Precision Time Protocol (PTP). The design space for PTP implementations is large, and system designers have to make trade-offs. A sophisticated and extensible simulation tool can assist PTP system designers when exploring the design space. This paper serves as an introduction to LibPTP, which is an OMNeT++-based simulation framework for PTP networks. LibPTP facilitates building PTP networks using Ordinary, Boundary, and Transparent clocks. For instance, it enables designers to study different configuration options, to compare delay mechanisms, or switch between clock servos. The paper gives an overview of the current feature set of LibPTP, and demonstrates LibPTP's capabilities through exemplary experiments. The demonstrations encompass analyzing the choice of synchronization intervals, the impact of path asymmetry, and daisy chaining of clocks.

A simulation framework for IEEE 1588

Real-time systems rely on a distributed global time base. As any physical clock device suffers from noise, it is necessary to provide some kind of clock synchronization to establish such a global time base. Different clock synchronization methods have been invented for individual application domains. The Precision Time Protocol (PTP), which is specified in IEEE 1588, is another interesting option. It targets local networks, where it is acceptable to assume small amounts of hardware support, and promises sub-microsecond precision. PTP provides many different implementation and configuration options, and thus the Design Space Exploration (DSE) is challenging. In this paper we discuss the implementation of realistic clock noise and its synchronization via PTP in OMNeT++. The components presented in this paper are intended to assist engineers with the configuration of PTP networks.

Wolfgang Wallner

Papers

A simulation framework for IEEE 1588

Simulation of the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol in OMNeT