TinTin: Tiny In-Network Transport for High Precision INdustrial Communication

The design of a transport protocol for high precision industrial networks is a complex problem since the industrial applications are resource-critical, time-critical, session-less, and safety-critical. These requirements make existing end-to-end transport mechanisms unsuitable for use in the industry verticals that require control-systems type communication. This paper proposes a lightweight, connection-less, and reliable protocol called TinTin. It utilizes the in-network capabilities to compensate for end device constraints. The mechanisms adopted in TinTin aim to reduce the communication overheads associated with well-known connection-oriented protocols. This paper discusses the design considerations of TinTin in detail and presents an early stage proof-of-concept implementation of TinTin with New IP.