Method providing distribution means for reference clocks across packetized networks

摘要

Disclosed is a method of distributing a number of reference clocks across a packet network. The packet network has a master node and one or more slave nodes, the master node and each slave node having basis clocks. A sender sends time-stamped synchronization packets to said one or more slave nodes, and a receiver at the slave nodes receives the time-stamped synchronization packets and synchronizes the basis clocks in the slave nodes with the basis clock in the master node. Multiple reference clocks are encoded with respect to the basis clock in the master node to generate numerical information describing the reference clock(s) in relation to the basis clock in the master node. The basis clock in each of the slave node is synchronized to the basis clock in the master node using time-stamped synchronization packets. The one or more reference clocks are recovered at the slave nodes using said numerical information describing the reference clock(s) in relation to the basis clock in the master node.