Method and apparatus for optimizing packet timing transport

摘要

There is provided a method of optimizing timing packet transport in a network node, the method comprising using a locally available stable frequency reference at the network node to provide a pre-determined network node transit time for timing packets in at least one direction into or out of the network node. There is also provided a network node comprising a locally available stable frequency reference and circuitry adapted to apply a pre-determined network node transit time, L, to all timing packets transiting the network node in at least one direction into or out of a network node dependent on the locally available stable frequency reference.

主权项

1. A method of optimising timing packet transport in a network node, the method comprising:
using a locally available stable frequency reference at the network node to provide a pre-determined network node transit time for timing packets in at least one direction into or out of the network node; detecting an arrival time, t1, for a received timing packet; forwarding the received timing packet to an output port of the network node at a transmission time, t2, the transmission time t2 being a predetermined duration, L, after the arrival time t1; detecting a size of a data packet scheduled to be transmitted on a same output port as the timing packet; and delaying the transmission of the data packet if the size of the data packet indicates that transmitting the data packet would delay the transmission of the timing packet at the transmission time t2.