CIP Sync is a time synchronization extension to CIP, based on and fully compliant with the IEEE-1588 Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems.
CIP Sync provides the increased control coordination needed for demanding events sequencing, distributed motion control and other highly distributed applications, where absolute time-synchronization of devices is vital.
CIP Sync forms the heart of EtherNet/IP’s “Time Synchronized Distributed Control” for motion applications. In this approach, time-stamped data packets relax the strict requirement for less than 1µs jitter for cyclic data delivery. CIP Sync’s time synchronization services provide a distributed time reference for the packet time stamping used in Time Synchronized Distributed Control. They also allow synchronization of services across distributed nodes.
Full compliance with IEEE 802.3 gives CIP Sync many performance advantages:
- Standard Ethernet components (e.g., chips, switches and routers) reduce system cost with their high volume, commercial availability.
- Network does not have to be scheduled
- Packet size and content can be dynamically changed, allowing dynamic inclusion or deletion of status or command data and dynamic drive operating mode changes
- Any Ethernet IEEE 802.3 compliant device can reside on the network without special switches or gateways
- Compatible with standard Ethernet topologies such as star and trunk/line dropline
- Performance upgrades to 1 Gigabit/sec and 10 Gigabit/sec are easy for both users and device suppliers.
For more information, visit the CIP Technology Library.