Results, Insights and Best Practices from IIC Testbeds: Time-Sensitive Networking Testbed
4. TIME SENSITIVE NETWORKING – A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TSN
TSN brings a number of enhancements to Ethernet. TSN comprises a number of enhancements, but three key capabilities form the core of TSN. They include:
1) Time Synchronization – A distributed, precise sense of time is a base requirement for distributed automation and control. It is also a requirement for the deterministic delivery of information needed between the sensors, actuators, controllers that comprise the manufacturing systems as well as the network infrastructure.
2) Sending scheduled Traffic flows – Based on the precise sense of time, the network infrastructure must be capable of forwarding critical automation and control traffic on a timely basis. This is considered an enhancement to the Quality of Service capabilities in most network infrastructure.
3) Central, automated system configuration – Recently, a key trend in networking has been Software-Defined Networking which enables automated, easier configuration. Software-Defined Networking is particularly important for TSN in Manufacturing because it consolidates application requirements, develops paths and schedules for the traffic flows and distributes that to the relevant network infrastructure.
There are other functions that are part of TSN, such as Frame Pre-emption, Ingress Policing and more, but these will be incorporated when complete- they are not required for the basic TSN functionality.
5. TESTBED OBJECTIVES
This testbed is designed to grow and achieve objectives in a progression. The three key capabilities listed above represent the initial technical milestones of the testbed. In initial plugfests, the focus was first on establishing time synchronization. Once this was accomplished, devices began to send scheduled traffic over the network. In our upcoming plugfests, we will focus on the central, automated configuration aspects of TSN. At that point we will be able to demonstrate the business value. Anyone can join and learn lessons through participation that many others have learned through this same progression.
IIC Journal of Innovation- 21-