Synchronization performance evaluation of reference clock connection methods for IEEE 1588 master clocks

Clock and/or frequency synchronization is a common requirement in modern distributed measurement and control systems, such as Internet of Things (IoT). The required precision is application dependent; however, the possibility of sub 1 microsecond precision provided by low-cost advanced IEEE 1588 implementations sets the industry standard today. The performance and price of IEEE 1588 implementations are primarily defined by the master clocks and their actual installation and configuration. The paper investigate how master clock architectures, i.e., how the master clock is connected to the reference clock, influence price and performance; and in addition, it also details how the architecture effects installation and configuration requirements. The primary factors of investigation are ambient temperature and delay compensation required due to signal transmission time. The paper also introduces the architecture and performance of a Linux based open source/hardware prototype master clock developed by the author.