TSN Solutions

Most industrial automation networks leverage Ethernet for real-time communication at the physical level. They implement data transmission methods and time synchronisation to guarantee timing, latency, and jitter stabilisation. Scheduled traffic and frame preemption mechanisms in TSN allow the network to prioritise high-priority and urgent traffic, efficiently manage low priority traffic, and handle mixed traffic types to ensure optimal performance and minimal packet loss. But there is a particular limitation to such an approach, as it leads to vendor lock-in and less-than-optimal use of network infrastructure.

Initially, the Ethernet standard wasn’t designed for real-time network needs. TSN introduces ethernet deterministic capabilities by providing guarantees on latency, throughput, and precise timing, making Ethernet suitable for time-sensitive and critical applications.

In recent years, the IEEE 802.1 TSN Task Group has introduced Time-Sensitive Networking Ethernet sub-standards to specifically address these requirements for real-time and deterministic networks. TSN leverages standard ethernet networks to enable deterministic and low-latency communication, supporting applications that require precise timing, such as industrial automation, automotive, and aerospace systems.

The IEEE 802.1Q standards operate at Layer 2 of the OSI model. TSN is not an internet protocol standard, it focuses on Ethernet technology. In a time-sensitive network, routing and forwarding decisions are based on the contents of the Ethernet header rather than the IP address. Within a TSN network, communication streams are defined and managed using specifications such as IEEE 802.1Qcc, which configure bandwidth, timing, and prioritisation, and use the destination MAC address to route data between devices like Talkers and Listeners. TSN enables devices to transmit data reliably and deterministically across control networks in industrial environments, ensuring precise, real-time data exchange and network performance.

Every TSN mechanism, from time-aware shaping (IEEE 802.1Qbv) to scheduled traffic and frame preemption, relies on one condition: all nodes in the network share the same time. IEEE 802.1AS (gPTP) provides that common time base. A traffic schedule is only as precise as the synchronization behind it.

For TSN switch vendors, timing is often where development slows down:

• TSN-capable silicon comes with 802.1AS support. Turning that support into a stable time-aware bridge with tuned servo behavior and verified accuracy is separate engineering work.
• One switch platform is expected to serve both factory floors, where PTP-only profiles such as IEEE 802.1AS and ITU-T G.8275.2 are enough, and critical infrastructure such as utility substations and railways, where SyncE with ITU-T G.8275.1 and boundary clocks are required.
• TSN equipment entering power utility networks must support IEC 62439-3 redundant networks and interoperate with legacy SONET/SDH timing still in the field during migration.
• Industrial networks converging with private 5G bring telecom-grade requirements, including boundary clocks that meet ITU-T G.8273.2 Class D.

Promwad closes this gap as a timing design partner. We take ownership of the synchronization layer in your TSN switch or router, on your silicon and within your architecture:

• IEEE 802.1AS time-aware bridge implementation with hardware timestamping and servo tuning
• Additional PTP profiles: ITU-T G.8265.1, G.8275.1, G.8275.2 and IEC 62439-3
• SyncE per ITU-T G.8262 and enhanced G.8262.1 for physical-layer frequency distribution

• Boundary clock performance from Class A to Class D (ITU-T G.8273.2)
• Interworking with legacy SONET/SDH (G.813) and PDH (G.812) clocks
• Custom architectures for distributing reference time and frequency to end nodes

Explore our IEEE 1588 PTP & synchronization solutions →