Clear source PTP Clock Manager software designed for Linux

2nd February 2021

Renesas

Lanna Deamer

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Renesas Electronics has introduced PTP (Precision Time Protocol) Clock Manager, according to the company, it is the industry’s first Linux-based clock management software, providing an easy-to-use and accessible timing synchronisation solution for telecom networks, including 4G, 5G, and Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN), including both fronthaul and backhaul systems.

The new IEEE 1588 Renesas PTP Clock Manager includes APIs to connect Renesas timing ICs with any network processor via the Linux standard PTP stack, offering broad access to PTP synchronisation without the need for time-intensive customisation. This Time Stamp Unit (TSU)-agnostic approach provides customers access to their processor/clock combination of choice and eliminates the need to create their own APIs, allowing them greater design flexibility while reducing development costs. When used with Renesas clock solutions, the PTP Clock Manager is provided under a no fees' license.

“Timing precision becomes more critical as carriers migrate to 5G networks. The open-source Linux environment offers the flexibility to create IEEE 1588-aware systems with a TSU and clock combination of choice for optimum timing performance,” said Bobby Matinpour, Vice President, Data Center Business Division at Renesas.

“Providing PTP synchronisation alongside a suite of best-in-class timing solutions without license fees reshapes the network system development landscape. We are excited to continue driving innovation that fosters and enables new vendors to succeed, consistent with initiatives like O-RAN.”

“We are collaborating closely with Renesas to develop joint reference designs that help to simplify and accelerate the time to market for our customers,” said Gilles Garcia, Senior Director of Marketing, Wired and Wireless Group, Xilinx, Inc. “5G networks demand high accuracy 1588 PTP for time and phase synchronisation. Renesas’ PTP Clock Manager is an important enabler for our Versal AI Core Series VCK190 and Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC ZCU216 evaluation kits, along with Xilinx Ethernet Solutions.”

The new Linux-based PTP Clock Manager also works with Renesas’ ClockMatrix 8A3400x family of high performance, precision, multi-channel timing devices and IEEE 1588-compliant 82P339xx devices to simplify the integration of telecom PTP solutions.

Key Features of the PTP Clock Manager

Extremely effective Packet Delay Variation (PDV) filter for IEEE 1588 networks
Linux kernel PHC subsystem supports Renesas ClockMatrix timing devices
Backwards compatibility with Linux v3.0 or later
Reduces the impact of packet-delayed variations caused by random queuing delays
Enables worldwide compliance with ITU-T synchronisation recommendations
Available as clear source code to simplify debugging

Renesas offers the only 'one-stop-shop' for timing solutions, offering expertise and products from full-featured system solutions to simple clock building-block devices. The new PTP clock manager extends this comprehensive portfolio to include both silicon and software solutions to support a full range of clocking needs.

The Linux-based PTP Clock Manager is available now free of charge under license.