In today’s highly connected business landscape, delays in the transmission of critical data can cost time, money, jobs, and even lives. As you can imagine, there’s an extensive and diverse range of data-driven applications where time is of the essence.
The seamless exchange of data between sensors and processors allows autonomous cars to make split-second decisions that ensure their safe and accurate navigation of roads. Robust IoT connections and timely data flow minimize waste and reduce downtime while promoting efficiency and overall performance in manufacturing. And timely data delivery enables the precise synchronization of audio and visual systems that deliver professional, best-in-class entertainment experiences for audiences worldwide.
Above are just a few of the mission-critical activities that rely on time-sensitive networking (TSN), a group of standards and protocols within the IEEE 802.1 umbrella that were designed to ensure “deterministic communication”. This means that data 1) gets to its final destination, and 2) does so within a specified timeframe over Ethernet networks. Thanks to TSN, industries that previously required specialized networking hardware to achieve their time-sensitive objectives can now use standard Ethernet connections to meet their needs.
The Fundamentals of Time-Sensitive Networking
First introduced in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Ethernet is a communications technology that connects devices in a local area network (LAN). Using a system of “wired” cables (unlike Wi-Fi’s wireless approach), the Ethernet still remains a highly desirable approach for organizations that require speed, reliability, security, and the ability to maximize their internet connection when transmitting data.
However, while standard Ethernet typically transmits data only when network resources are available, the process of time-sensitive networking introduces a means of scheduling data transmission to ensure that it arrives on time and in a predictable fashion. This is achieved through TSN’s many powerful features, which include:
- Synchronization of clocks within devices on the TSN network via a “Precision Time Protocol” (PTP) capability to ensure on-time transmission
- Precise scheduling of data transmissions to ensure the on-time delivery of high-priority data
- “Traffic shaping,” through which TSN can avoid network congestion and smooth the way for data to flow by controlling the rate at which data is sent
- Back-up redundancy, which delivers an added measure of reliability by ensuring that if data fails to send via one path, it can be received via an alternative path
- Reservation of network resources, which assures that connected devices have the necessary bandwidth to successfully transmit data
TSN in Industry
These and other features have made TSN an indispensable tool for industries and applications where ultra-low “latency” (defined as the time it takes for a computer, the internet, etc. to respond to an action taken) and “jitter” (signal changes in amplitude, width, or phase timing within a network) are paramount. Those industries include the following:
Automotive
In the automotive sector, TSN is popularly used to support real-time diagnostics for vehicle malfunctions and repairs as well as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, which enables vehicles to share information regarding traffic conditions, weather updates, alternative routes, and safety issues; the use of TSN also helps reduce the cost and complexity of connected infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems. Within autonomous vehicles, TSN enables the quick processing of data from sensors that ultimately control everything from the steering wheel and brakes to anti-slip functions, collision-avoidance systems, and more.
Industrial
Among other applications, TSN enhances efficiency and productivity in automated industrial manufacturing settings by enabling real-time communication and synchronization within robotic systems, conveyor belts, and assembly lines. As a result, industrial leaders such as Siemens and Poland-based company Keller, a provider of state-of-the-art printing technologies, have adopted TSN.
Energy
In the energy/utility industry, the use of TSN enables more efficient grid management and deployment of power to users by ensuring real-time communication between power generation and distribution systems. TSN also supports the efficient integration of renewable energy sources into the grid portfolio.
Ultimately, as industries across the board continue to undergo digital transformation, industry experts confirm that TSN is revolutionizing the face of real-time communication and control systems and opening the door to exciting and dynamic new possibilities in the future.
Take the Time to Master TSN
As time-sensitive networking continues to both evolve and be embraced by a broad range of organizations, there’s no time to waste when it comes to understanding the powerful benefits that TSN can bring to your or your clients’ operations.
Time-Sensitive Networking for New Ethernet Bridging Applications is a comprehensive eLearning course program from IEEE. It covers everything from specific challenges involved in delivering real-time communications on modern networks to the methods that have been developed by various standards groups. It also addresses each of the challenges identified and more.
Upon completion of the five-course program, learners will understand the importance of synchronization, traffic shaping, and queueing within time-sensitive applications as well as the current state of development and standardization of solutions in this dynamic field.
To learn more about accessing these courses for your organization, contact an IEEE Content Specialist today.
Interested in the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network.
Resources
Python and TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking): An In-Depth Guide. W3 Computing.
Hill, Simon. (20 April 2023). Everything You Need to Know About Ethernet. Wired.
Shukla, Guarav. (5 June 2022). What is Ethernet? How-To Geek.
Howard. (8 December 2023). The Introduction of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). FS
Rouwet, Wim. (2022). Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication. Science Direct.
Leung, Jason. (18 December 2023). The Future of Connected Cars: How Time-Sensitive Networking Is Enhancing Automotive Embedded Systems. FiberRoad.
Burke, Tom. (7 July 2023). TSN Technology Endorsed by Industrial Automation Leaders. Automation.com.
Burke, Thomas. (5 February 2024). How to Use TSN to Improve Machine Design Performance, Precision. Control Engineering.
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