Artel Publishes White Paper On Precision Time Protocol

Artel Video Systems has published a new white paper on Precision Time Protocol titled 'Time Travels — A Closer Look at PTP'.

The paper addresses key factors that must be considered for successful PTP deployments.

"IP video and audio technology is moving rapidly into all facets of media production, and PTP is the essential technology to provide absolute synchronisation of the timing relationships of all devices. This is a requirement in delivering mission-critical media signals in IP- and fiber-based ecosystems," said Rafael Fonseca, Vice President of Product Management, Artel. "Through this white paper, readers will gain a better understanding of key considerations for successful PTP deployments, including system architectures, PTP device configuration, and multicast network considerations."

PTP specifies a methodology for synchronising devices to a single, shared clock across packet-based networks, including Ethernet switches and IP routers. This standard, which was originally developed for laboratory and industrial installations, is now fundamental for IP video/audio signal transport using SMPTE ST 2110 and IP audio signals using AES67, among other media applications. PTP creates a common time base for multiple video cameras and is used to synchronise video and audio devices to a uniform clock or timecode. When used properly, PTP can synchronise device clocks to within nanoseconds of each other across a large network with hundreds of nodes.

'Time Travels — A Closer Look at PTP' examines the key elements and considerations of PTP deployments including PTP synchronisation, master clock selection, transparent and boundary clock functions, PTP domain and profile configuration, and other network considerations.

The paper is available for download from www.artel.com/precisiontiming.

Earlier this year, Artel published a primer on PTP, 'It's About (Precision) Time', explaining the system components and benefits of PTP and how it can be applied in media production. This paper is also available for download at www.artel.com/precision.

artel.com