Synchronization in Time-Sensitive Networking: An Introduction to IEEE Std 802.1AS

Synchronization has become key in many applications. It is a key aspect of Industrial Automation networks, as those applications depend on synchronized time. It is also important for automotive applications, as synchronization is used for infotainment and handling sensor data. In Telecommunications networks, synchronization has been used for many years, and it is very important to fulfill 5G technology requirements. The Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Task Group (TG) of IEEE 802.1 has developed several base standards to allow a deterministic network with bounded latency. IEEE Std 802.1 AS, “Timing and Synchronization for Time-Sensitive Applications,” is part of these base standards developed by the TSN TG. This article gives an introduction of IEEE Std 802.1 AS, and addresses synchronization concepts and its applications. IEEE Std 1588 defines a precision time protocol (PTP), and IEEE Std 802.1AS includes a profile of IEEE Std 1588; therefore, some concepts of IEEE 1588 are also described in this article.