摘要 |
Method, system and node for providing time synchronisation between local clocks located in nodes within a network and a central clock. The central clock and the nodes exchange messages. The messages transmitted contain a time stamp indicating the time of transmission. When messages are received, the time of reception is also determined. Based upon the calculation of the elapsed time taken by messages to be transmitted and received, a time difference can be estimated which indicates how much the clock on a node lags behind the central clock. Once this lag is known, the clock on the node can be updated. The proposed invention allows for a more precise time synchronisation to take place between nodes and a central clock without having to perform modifications on the transport circuitry of the system. The invention also allows for any changes in the network topology to be detected via any changes in the Round Trip Time, and a management centre to be notified in turn. Additionally, the invention allows for statistical information to be gathered in order to determine the quality of the synchronisation procedure.
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