IEEE1588 Precision Time Protocol ITU T Standards
IEEE1588 Precision Time Protocol ITU T Standards
Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1
2 ITU-T SG15/Q13 and its Application to IEEE 1588 ................................................................................... 2
3 Time Error Network Budget and Metrics for Phase/Time Synchronization ............................................ 6
3.1 Time and phase requirement classes .............................................................................................. 6
3.2 Network reference model and limits ............................................................................................... 7
3.3 Time error network budget ............................................................................................................. 9
4 Requirements to Telecom Boundary Clocks (T-BC) and Telecom Time Slave Clocks (T-TSC) ................ 10
4.1 Noise generation ............................................................................................................................ 11
4.2 Noise tolerance .............................................................................................................................. 11
4.3 Noise transfer ................................................................................................................................ 12
4.3.1 PTP to PTP /1 PPS noise transfer ......................................................................................... 12
4.3.2 Physical layer frequency to PTP/1 PPS noise transfer ......................................................... 12
4.4 Transient response and holdover performance ............................................................................ 12
4.4.1 Transient response .............................................................................................................. 12
4.4.2 Holdover performance ........................................................................................................ 13
5 PTP Profiles in ITU-T Standards .............................................................................................................. 15
1 Introduction
Wireless telecommunication technologies have completely transformed over the past two decades.
Voice traffic is no longer dominating bandwidth demand. Data now vastly dominates the traffic. More-
over, speed requirements are rapidly growing to support faster content download with video streaming
at increasing resolutions (HD, 4K, 8K, and growing). Packet networks are ideal for carrying data at high
speed, but they are also asynchronous by nature, and many services require synchronization. For
example to interwork with SDH and SONET, data rate synchronization is required, and LTE base stations
which use time division duplexing (TDD) require accurate time synchronization because the carrier radio
frequency for the base station must be within the allocated spectrum and remote control services
require low latency. With the emerging 5G standard, available bandwidth is increasing, latency is going
down, and new services are being introduced that are driving tighter synchronization requirements.
New protocols, such as PTP, and other standards have been developed to support time and frequency
synchronization and these protocols are constantly evolving.
Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is a two-way time transfer protocol that was introduced in the IEEE 1588-
2002 standard. Since then a new version of PTP has evolved called PTPv2 that is addressed in IEEE 1588-
2008. The IEEE 1588 standard defines the protocol for time and frequency synchronization in packet
networks and it provides a flexible framework. It doesn’t provide use cases, target any specific
applications, or give timing requirements. Application of the protocol for specific use cases is within the
domain of corresponding standard bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is an agency of the United Nations (UN) that is
responsible for information and communication technologies and ITU-T is the ITU Telecommunication
Standardization Sector that coordinates standards for telecommunications. The ITU-T body is split into a
number of study groups based on various topics. Study Group 15 (SG15) is the group that develops
transport standardization. ITU’s work plan is based on 4-year study periods. Synchronous Ethernet was
standardized in the 2005 to 2008 period, IEEE 1588 carrying frequency in the 2009 to 2012 period, and
phase and time transport in the 2013 to 2016 study period. ITU-T sets up a number of working groups
called “Questions” that study different topics. Question 13 (Q13), “the timing question”, is the expert
group that is responsible for the development of standards covering all aspects of frequency, phase, and
time synchronization. It includes the clocks, network architecture and limits, metrics, and measurement
techniques.
The ITU-T 8271 standard currently focuses on cases when timing is carried with support from the
network. In the case of PTP hardware and software, timing functions should implement either T-BC
(boundary clock) or T-TC (transparent clock). The boundary clock terminates timing messages, filters
network noise, and regenerates the messages. A transparent clock provides a way to measure the
residence time of timing packets in the network node and includes that information in PTP messages.
This document will focus on the requirements to telecom boundary clocks (T-BC) and telecom time slave
clocks (T-TSC) in a network with full timing support.
Definitions G.8260
Frequency Phase/Time
Basics G.8261 G.8271
G.8261.1 G.8271.1
Network Requirements
G.8271.2
G.8262 G.8272
G.8262.1 G.8273
G.8266 G.8273.1
Clocks
G.8273.2
G.8273.3
G.8273.4
G.8264 G.8275
Methods and
Architecture
G.8265
G.8265.1 G.8275.1
Profiles
G.8275.2
Standard
Number Standard Name Scope
Definitions and terminology Provides definitions and terminology for frequency, phase,
for synchronization in and time synchronization in packet networks, including
G.8260 packet networks mathematical definitions for stability and quality metrics.
Provides basic background information about packet timing
systems and the impairments associated with them.
Timing and synchronization Defines frequency synchronization aspects in packet
aspects in packet networks networks such as the network limits of jitter and wander,
G.8261 equipment tolerance to jitter and wander, and
requirements for the synchronization function of network
elements.
G.8265.1 Precision time protocol Provides the PTP frequency delivery profile for
telecom profile for telecommunication applications. Specifies the application
frequency synchronization of features defined in IEEE 1588 to ensure network element
interoperability.
G.8266 Timing characteristics of Defines the minimum requirements for the timing functions
telecom grandmaster clocks of the telecom grandmaster clocks. Supports frequency
for frequency synchronization distribution with packet-based methods.
synchronization
G.8271 Time and phase Defines time and phase synchronization aspects in packet
synchronization aspects of networks.
packet networks
G.8271.1 Network limits for time Specifies network limits of phase/time error, equipment
synchronization in packet tolerance to phase/time error, and requirements for the
networks synchronization function of network elements. Applies to
packet-based phase and time distribution for the networks
with full timing support from the network.
G.8271.2 Network limits for time Specifies network limits of phase/time error, equipment
synchronization in packet tolerance to phase/time error, and requirements for the
networks with partial timing synchronization function of network elements. Applies to
support from the network packet-based phase and time distribution for the networks
with partial timing support from the network.
G.8272 Timing characteristics of Specifies the requirements for primary reference time
primary reference time clocks (PRTCs) in packet networks. PRTC provides the
clocks reference signal for time, phase and frequency
synchronization for other clocks within a network.
G.8273 Framework of phase and Provides the framework for phase and time clocks used for
time clocks synchronization.
G.8273.1 Grandmaster (T-GM) In development
– In development
G.8273.2 Timing characteristics of Defines the requirements for telecom boundary clocks and
telecom boundary clocks telecom time slave clocks with a focus on the case with
and telecom time slave physical layer frequency support. Specifies noise
clocks generation, noise tolerance, noise transfer, and transient
response for telecom boundary clocks and telecom time
slave clocks.
G.8273.3 Timing characteristics of Specifies requirements for time and phase synchronization
telecom transparent clocks devices used in synchronizing network equipment. Defines
the requirements for transparent clocks. The focus is on
transparent clocks with frequency reference provided by
the physical layer.
G.8273.4 Assisted PTS telecom time In development
slave clock
– In development
G.8275 Architecture and Covers general architecture of time and phase distribution
requirements for packet- using packet-based methods with a focus on time and
based time and phase phase distribution using PTP.
distribution
G.8275.1 Precision time protocol PTP phase/time synchronization delivery profile for
telecom profile for telecommunication applications based on the full timing
phase/time synchronization support from the network architecture.
with full timing support
from the network
G.8275.2 Precision time protocol PTP phase/time synchronization delivery profile for
telecom profile for telecommunication applications based on partial timing
time/phase synchronization support (PTS) from the network architecture. Profile
with partial timing support assumes well-defined network where the network
from the network performance can be constrained within known limits.
A B C D E
Network time
Packet
reference Packet
PRTC master Packet network
slave clock ~
clock
End
application
time clock
1. Reference point A
Network limits are specified in ITU-T G.8272. For example, maximum absolute TE should be less
than or equal in magnitude to 100 ns. ITU-T.G8272 also specifies dynamic TE limits.
2. Reference point B
If telecom grand master is integrated into the PRTC, the same network limits as reference point
A apply. Otherwise limits are not covered by ITU-T standards.
3. Reference point C
The limits given in Rec. ITU-T G.8271.1/Y.1366.1 (2017)/Amd.1 (03/2018) apply to class 4
applications such as LTE-TDD. Requirements for 5G applications are for further study and not
covered by ITU-T standards yet.
In the case of full timing support from the network covered by ITU-T G.8271.1, the packet
network between points B and C (Figure 3-1) consists of a chain of T-BC or T-TC. The noise
generated by this chain can be divided into two different categories that are different in nature:
o Constant TE (cTE) produced by the chain. The common cause is fixed asymmetries that
have not been compensated.
o Dynamic TE (dTE) produced by the chain, which in terms is split into low frequency noise
dLTE (components are < 0.1 Hz) or high frequency noise dHTE (components are > 0.1 Hz).
The local oscillator plays an important role in the dynamic performance of the clock.
SiTime SiT5356 Precision Super-TCXO was designed to minimize Frequency versus
Temperature Slope to reduce sensitivity to the environment temperature as well as to
have superior resistance to dynamic external stressors such as airflow, shock, vibration,
and power supply noise.
To quantify constant and dynamic TE the following metrics are used:
o Maximum absolute TE includes constant TE and low frequency components of the dy-
namic TE
o Maximum Time Interval Error (MTIE) and Time Deviation (TDEV) are used to measure
low frequency noise components of the dynamic TE with frequencies below 0.1 Hz
o Peak-to-peak TE is used to measure high frequency noise components of the dynamic TE
with frequencies above 0.1 Hz
The network limits at reference point C for deployment case 1 are:
o Maximum absolute TE ≤ 1100 ns (first order low pass filter with 0.1 Hz bandwidth has to
be applied to the measured TE samples prior to calculating maximum absolute TE).
o MTIE limits to quantify low frequency dynamic TE specified in
Table 3-2 Figure 3-2and Figure 3-2. TDEV limit is not defined in the standard (first order
low pass filter with 0.1 Hz bandwidth has to be applied to the measured TE samples pri-
or to calculating MTIE and TDEV).
o Peak-to-peak TE amplitude < 200 ns as measured over a 10,000 s interval (first order
high pass filter with 0.1 Hz bandwidth has to be applied to the measured TE samples
prior to calculating peak-to-peak TE).
The network limits at reference point C are not defined for deployment case 2.
1000
MTIE (ns)
100
1 10 100 1000 10000
Observation interval τ (s)
4. Reference point D
For deployment case 1, the network limits at point D are not defined in the standard.
For deployment case 2, the network limits at point D are the same as the network limits at point
C for deployment case 1.
1. Time error generation of the reference clock, which is a combination of PRTC and T-GM.
According to ITU-T G.8272, the maximum allowed time error of PRTC and T-GM combination is
±100 ns
2. Time error generation of the network, which consists of:
a. Constant time error generated by the chain of T-BCs. cTE adds up linearly, so for the
chain of 10 T-BCs assuming up to 50 ns per T-BC, it adds up to ±500 ns. Sometimes cTE
of the slave is also included in this budget resulting in ±550 ns budget for cTE.
b. Dynamic time error generated by the chain of T-BCs. dTE is less than ±200 ns for the
chain of T-BSs up to 20 nodes
c. Constant time error due to the link asymmetry ±250 ns
3. Holdover budget due to failure scenarios described in ITU-T G.8275 (±250 ns)
4. Noise generation of end application ±150 ns
The overall budget should meet the ±1.5 µs requirement for the end application.
A, B C D E
Network time End
reference (e.g., GPS) application
time clock
Packet Packet
PRTC master Packet network slave ~
clock clock
±150 ns
End Eq
±250 ns
holdover
±550 ns cTE ±200 ns ±250 ns
±100 ns
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
dTE Assym
PRTC
PRTC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
BC
This chapter focuses on the requirements for T-BC. The requirements for T-TSC are almost identical and
can be found in ITU-T G.8273.1 Annex C.
There are separate requirements for constant time error generation and dynamic time error generation.
Dynamic time error is specified in terms of low pass filtered noise generation dLTE (ITU-T G.8273.2
Clause 7.1.2) and high pass filtered noise generation dHTE (ITU-T G.8273.2 Clause 7.1.3). Dynamic time
error generation is defined for the case of T-BC operating in a locked mode and containing EEC-Option 1
clock assuming ideal references: wander-free PTP reference and wander-free frequency reference
delivered via the physical layer. SiTime Precision Super-TCXOs can help achieve tighter spec limits for
both frequency recovery from the physical layer (SyncE EEC) and phase/time recovery from PTP.
Performance of the local oscillator and it’s resistance to changing environmental conditions is an
important factor for achieving frequency, phase, and time synchronization performance goals.
1. Rearrangement of physical layer frequency transport and PTP network – limit is not defined
4. Long term rearrangement of physical layer frequency transport – limit not clearly defined
Table 4-1: Output phase transient mask in case of physical layer frequency rearrangement
350
250
200
150
100
50
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time after the beginning of rearrangement (s)
Figure 4-1: Absolute time error mask for the case of physical layer frequency
transport rearrangement
1. Loss of both physical layer frequency input and PTP input. In this holdover state, T-BC relies
entirely on the performance of a local oscillator. A stable local oscillator can ensure longer
holdover times. The slope of frequency change in response to a temperature change (ΔF/ΔT) of
a local oscillator is very important to minimize frequency error due to small temperature
variations and therefore time error accumulation. SiTime has introduced Precision Super-TCXO
products with ±100 ppb frequency stability spec (SiT535x), that due to their unique temperature
compensation scheme compete in performance with ±20 ppb and ±50 ppb OCXO devices.
The standard does not define time error limit for this case.
2. Loss of PTP input only. In this case, the T-BC relies on physical layer frequency assistance that
provides a frequency reference traceable to PRC. This holdover state can be called assisted
holdover. ITU-T G.8273 defines assisted holdover specs for the case with constant temperature
(Table 4-2 and Figure 4-2) and variable temperature (Table 4-3 and Figure 4-2).
1000
MTIE (ns)
100
10
1 10 100 1000
Observation interval τ (s)
ITU-T G.8275.1 is a telecommunication profile for phase/time synchronization with full timing support
from the network. The profile ensures compatibility with the network architecture as described in ITU-T
G.8275. Table 5-1: ITU-T G.8275.1 Annex A Telecom Profile Features lists some of the key features of this
telecom profile. The complete lists can be found in Annex A of ITU-T G.8275.1.
Table 5-1: ITU-T G.8275.1 Annex A Telecom Profile Features
Feature/Option Value
ITU-T PTP profile for phase/time distribution with full
profileName
timing support from the network
profileVersion 2.1
profileIdentifier 00-19-A7-01-02-01
Permitted: ordinary clocks, boundary clocks, end-to-end
Required, permitted, or prohibited transparent clocks
node types
Prohibited: peer-to-peer transparent clocks
One-step versus two-step clock mode Both
Multicast or unicast Multicast; unicast is not permitted
Best master clock algorithm (BMCA) Alternate BMCA described in clause 6.3 of ITU-T G.8275.1
Sync message rate 16 per second
Announce message rate 8 per second
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