Technology
Hybrid wireless & wired TSN clock synchronization using standard NXP chips
A joint approach by NXP and R3 Solutions to combine wired and wireless connections in a single TSN architecture.
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System Approach
NXP and R3 Solutions have jointly developed a TSN-capable Wi-Fi system based on NXP’s standard AW693 Wi-Fi chipset. This allows Wi-Fi segments to be seamlessly integrated into wired TSN networks, with the same TAPRIO (Time-Aware Priority) shaper being used for both the wired and wireless media.
To this end, a new hardware-supported cross-synchronization mechanism was developed specifically to establish a precise connection between the Wi-Fi TSF (Timing Synchronization Function) and the Ethernet PHC (Precision Hardware Clock). This allows gPTP to be effectively extended across the wireless segment.
Architecture
Demonstrator Setup
EDGE X TSN Time Synchronization
To demonstrate the capabilities of the new wireless TSN approach, a modified EDGE X is being integrated into NXP’s mobile robotics demonstrator.
This specialized hardware is designed to enable the following:
- Hybrid wired and wireless time synchronization
- End-to-end IEEE 802.1Qbv time-aware scheduling for TSN
- 1 µs P90 accuracy over the wireless network
Performance Analysis
The results are shown for a high-priority data stream (100 Hz) that competes with low-priority UDP traffic at maximum bandwidth.
The TAPRIO scheduler, made possible by our precise synchronization, fully protects critical traffic.
Why is this important?
Industrial automation demands the determinism of wired TSN networks, but at the same time requires the flexibility of wireless communication. Integrating these two worlds usually requires a compromise.
Our approach achieves both—without compromising performance.
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Daniel Thiel
Wireless Solutions Expert
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