APPARATUS FOR MEASURING PACKET DELAY

摘要

Delay that a packet experiences in a network node is measured by employing a single local time signal in the node, and by separating a time stamp update function into a network node entry time stamp function and a network node exit time stamp function. The node entry time stamp function is to generate (via 208) a packet originate time value referenced to the local time signal value upon the packet entering the node. This packet originate time value is inserted (via 208) into a packet header time stamp field to be transported through the node. The node exit time stamp function is to generate an updated time stamp value (via 1109) from the packet originate time value from the header time stamp field and the local time signal value upon the packet exiting the node. The updated time stamp value is inserted (via 1106, 1107) into the packet header time stamp field in place of the packet originate time value.