Sub-Microsecond Time Synchronization for Network-Connected Microcontrollers

authored by

Jens Schleusner, Christian Fahnemann, Richard Pfleiderer, Holger Blume

Abstract

This paper presents a bare-metal implementation of the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for network-connected microcontroller edge devices, enabling sub-microsecond time synchronization in automotive networks and multimedia applications. The implementation leverages the hardware timestamping capabilities of the microcontroller (MCU) to implement a two-stage Phase-locked loop (PLL) for offset and drift correction of the hardware clock. Using the MCU platform as a PTP master enables the distribution of a sub-microsecond accurate Global Positioning System (GPS) timing signal over a network. The performance of the system is evaluated using master-slave configurations where the platform is synchronized with a GPS, an embedded platform, and a microcontroller master. Results show that MCU platforms can be synchronized to an external GPS reference over a network with a standard deviation of 40.7 nanoseconds, enabling precise time synchronization for bare-metal microcontroller systems in various applications.

Organisation(s)

Architectures and Systems Section

Type

Conference contribution

Publication date

06.01.2024

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.15488/16561 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCE59016.2024.10444401 (Access: Closed)