1.2 - Nanosecond Synchronous Analog Data Acquisition over Precision Time Protocol

Event
etc2016 - 36. European Telemetry and Test Conference
2016-05-10 - 2016-05-12
Nürnberg, Germany
Chapter
1. Positioning & Timing
Author(s)
M. Braun, M. Juranek, A. Széll, P. Szántó, C. Marin - Zodiac Data Systems GmbH, Bergisch Gladbach (Germany)
Pages
18 - 25
DOI
10.5162/etc2016/1.2
ISBN
978-3-9816876-2-0
Price
free

Abstract

This paper describes an implementation of the Precision Time Protocol IEEE TM 1588-2002 and IEEE TM 1588-2008 in order to reach maximum accuracy in time synchronization as a requirement forsimultaneous analog data sampling.
Exact cross-correlation calculation between various measurements calls for a very small phase error margin between the sampled signals. Besides, there is an increasing need to synchronize the analog sampling carried out at different places without utilizing additional synchronization connections between different devices.
Nowadays, Ethernet is universally used and therefore present almost everywhere. Data acquisition systems typically deliver their data via networks. For time synchronization, the Precision Time Protocol (IEEE1588 TM) is basically a mandate. This protocol provides the high accuracy required for synchronous and simultaneous analog sampling.
The performance evaluation of the present implementation shows that an absolute time synchronization better than 10 nanoseconds can be achieved between two given data acquisition systems. Furthermore, this paper elaborates on how the analog sampling can be synchronized to theabsolute time with this same accuracy.

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